Torn on the Edge
by SplishySplash
Summary: Adaptation of Man in the Morgue. Brennan learns what really happens on the day she forgot and Booth is there to help her along the way.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Torn on the Edge**

Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING. This is an **adaptation** on Man in the Morgue-my all time favorite episode… The first chapter is close to the show, but if you read it-it isn't. **I also moved the time line, instead of season one it is in season two**-just before Girl with a Curl, I'm not sure if I will follow SII as well, I know for a fact that I want Judas on the Pole and Man in the Concrete, etc… basically Graham Leger was a notorious horn dog as Caroline Julian…. Come on you can figure it out.

Spoiler: Man in the Morgue

**Chapter One: New Orleans**

Brennan woke up with a start, seeing nothing but the black and white tile of the bathroom floor where her head was place, sitting up slowly she surveyed her surroundings; blood stained the once white tile, catching her off guard. Her hand went to her hair; it was matted with sticky semi-dried blood, but it wasn't alone-her hands and clothes were covered in it.

She placed her right hand on the vanity to pull herself off the floor, pain shot through her wrist and she cried out in pain. Brennan cradled her wrist and got to her feet and looked at herself in the mirror. Her reflection supported a deep cut on her cheek and bruises on her face, confirming that she didn't have any idea what had happened to her.

The telephone rang in the other room and she limped over to answer it. "Doctor Brennan, you shuttle to the airport is here." Said the woman's voice on the other line.

"No, my flight isn't until tomorrow, Thursday." She responded, sitting down on the couch.

"Today is Thursday, Doctor Brennan." The woman said slowly.

She let the phone fall to the floor. "What happened to Wednesday?" She asked herself out loud. The woman's voice was yelling from the phone, beckoning her for attention.

After a few moments, Brennan's cell phone began to ring on the coffee table. She recognized the phone number and answered it. "Brennan."

"How are things in the Big Easy, Bones?" Her partner's voice came from the phone. She could almost see him sitting at his desk, reclining back with his charm smile on. "You ready to come home yet?"

"I. . .don't know Booth, I don't even know what day it is." She answered slowly, defeated.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Asked Booth, she could hear his chair squeaking in protest as he sat up straighter.

She didn't answer right away, trying to figure out how to tell Booth that she woke up on the bathroom floor without him worrying him. "I thought it was Wednesday."

"Too much partying in New Orleans, Bones?" He asked as a joke, the feeling in his gut told him something wasn't right. When she didn't retort that she had three doctorates and was a world renowned forensic anthropologist, he began to worry. "Are you all right Bones?"

"I'm fine, I think." She said.

"You don't sound fine. I'm coming down there." Booth said, she could hear him shuffle papers on his desk.

"No Booth. I'm going to go to the doctor-everything is fine." She said firmly as there was a knock on the door.

"Temperance, don't argue with me." He said firmly. "I'm on my way." And he hung up as to not cause further argument. She turned her phone off and opened the door, almost forgetting the blood smeared all over her clothes. Brennan cried out, temporarily forgetting the injury.

"Oh my god," Said the woman, that she recognized from the front desk. "Doctor Brennan, what happened?"

"I don't know." Said Brennan as a wave of vertigo shot through her, causing her to sway slightly. She walked back to the couch and sat down with an unceremonious thud, as the woman said something about getting help.

---------------------------------------------------

". . . Looks like someone stole your earring," Said the doctor, placing a bandage on the torn earlobe, most of the blood had been cleaned up from the rest of her body and he was just patching her up. "Ripped it right out of the earlobe."

"I don't know what happened to me." She said, as he walked towards the counter.

"It's a tough town and we don't have very many cops anymore." He said, as the door opened. It was Detective Harding. "And they weren't very good to begin with."

"You shouldn't insult the ones who did stay." She snapped, glancing over at the Anthropologist.

"Detective Harding, I didn't know who else to call." Brennan said uncomfortably.

"I need blood samples on this clothing, maybe we'll get lucky and it won't all come from you." Ordered the detective, giving her the once over, "Still hazy on the details?"

"I'm not hazy on the details, I don't remember anything." Answered Brennan.

"Nothing?" Prodded the woman. "What's the last thing that you remember?"

Brennan shook her head. "Doctor Leger knocking over the tray of instruments at the morgue, and then nothing."

"That was the day before yesterday." Harding said softly.

"I've requested a rape kit." She said, growing uncomfortable.

"I was just about to start that." Said the doctor, as a commotion outside the door caught their attention.

". . .Sir you can't go in there." Said an irate nurse as Booth opened the door. He had a deer-in-the-headlights look on his face when he stepped into the room.

"Bones, you ok?" He asked softly, shutting the door in the nurse's face.

"Booth, I told you not to come." She said, looking away in embarrassment, he took the two long strides to her side.

"Whose this?" Asked Harding, giving her an 'Angela' look, the one that was suggesting something that wasn't there.

"He's FBI, we're partners." She explained, looking away from him.

"The man flies from DC, your more than just partners." Implied Harding, with a coy smile on her face. Angela would've liked her.

"Yeah, yeah-what's the last thing you remember?" asked Booth, placing a hand on her arm. Brennan was growing uncomfortable with him there-only being in a hospital gown.

"Doctor Leger knocking over the tray of instruments, that's it." She said quietly, cursing herself for answering the phone in the first place.

"Why can't she remember anything?" Booth asked the doctor, keeping the panic at bay and silently telling himself not to jump to conclusions.

"Could be the head injury." Said the doctor, removing his gloves.

"Hair line stress fracture on my right distal radius, concussion, slight fever, and torn earlobe. I lost one of my favorite earrings."

"Your worried about an earring, you really should be worried about losing a whole day." Said Booth, knowing well enough what they meant to her.

"I know, its stupid, but these were my mother's earrings." She said sadly, Booth took her hand in his-giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Amnesia caused by any traumatic event, injury or drug can erase memories before the event, not just after." Explained the doctor, writing something into her chart.

"Good, we'll just wait for the tox-screen." Booth said reassuringly, cataloguing her injuries for himself.

"Its going to be at least twenty four hours." Said the doctor, setting the chart down on the desk. Booth didn't like the guy, he wasn't giving her the attention that she needed.

"Twenty four hours?" asked Booth stunned, his anger growing at the man.

"Almost all the labs were destroyed by the hurricane." He explained, shrugging and turned to leave the room.

"We'll find out what happened to you." Said Harding looking from Brennan to her partner. "You just look out for your . . .Partner." Not convinced that they were just partners and left the room-following the doctor.

Booth gently grabbed her chin with his thumb and index finger to examine the cut on her cheek and the bruise that surrounded it. "We'll figure it out, Bones. We always do." He whispered, wrapping his arms around her in a 'guy' hug.

"I . . .thanks Booth." She whispered, resting her head on his chest.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: Torn on the Edge.  
Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING, hey all thanks for the reviews… Problem I am going to Vegas and won't be able to type up the next chapter so It will wait till Monday and I will get far ahead and have more and more chapters**

**Chapter 2: Office**

Brennan sat at her desk with her head in her hands for over an hour. The case the Jeffersonian had just finished working on wasn't anything out of the ordinary, but Brennan felt as if it had turned her life around. Carly Richardson was pulled from the Delaware Bay with an infant who didn't come from her womb.

Temperance Brennan wasn't an emotional person, everyone knew that-hell the whole world knew that, but she was appalled that the woman's own friend killed her and took her baby-that terrified her the most. She sighed and stared at the phone sitting on the corner of her desk. She started to feel odd after the conversation she had, had with her boss Camille Saroyan.

_"Do you want children?" Asked Brennan, attempting to make conversation._

_"Excuse me?" Cam asked surprised, turning around after placing the jar on the shelf._

_"Children?" Clarified the Anthropologist, folding her arms over her chest and wincing slightly because of new found tenderness._

_"Maybe," She turned back to place her gloves on the table behind her. "If I can find one who sleeps late and cleans. Does this apply to the case in anyway?"_

_"No, just curious." Brennan shrugged. She turned to her partner and with a smile continued. "You know, most people think it's odd when a woman doesn't want children, but obviously you don't."_

_"Are you pregnant?" Asked the pathologist, with a raised brow. Brennan laughed it off and walked to her office._

The comment floored her. When she reached her office, she began to mentally calculate her last menstrual cycle. Brennan counted backwards, forwards and even pulled out the calendar from her planner-yet she couldn't remember. Taking a deep breath, she picked up the phone to call her doctor to make an appointment for later that afternoon-hoping it was just the high stress that had caused her to forget.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

The phone began to ring a day later, making itself known on the corner of her desk. She picked it up with a trembling hand. "Brennan." Her voice faux confidence.

"This is Doctor Weaver's office calling with your test results." Said the perky, young voice from the other end. Brennan could have swore her heart stopped beating for a moment. "Congratulations, you're pregnant."

She sat the phone down, slowly back onto the vacated receiver and stared off into space.

Her years of schooling flashed through her. Pregnancy is carrying one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo carried by the female mammal, a time between conception and birth. Gravid-scientific word for pregnancy and female pregnancy is known as gravida. Primigravida-woman in her first pregnancy.

Science, the only thing she had lived by for the last fifteen years, felt like it had betrayed her.

New Orleans.

It had to have happened in New Orleans.

She stood up from her office chair and started to pace. A nervous habit that she had picked up from Booth.

That Wednesday in August that she had forgotten. The Thursday that she woke up on the black and white tile and went to the doctor.

The doctor at the clinic had done an X-ray, CAT scan and . . . was distracted before he got the chance to do the rape kit. She began to pace faster and picked up the mug from its place next to the phone and slammed it on the floor, shattering it into little small pieces-sending the pencils and pen's that was resting in it, to spread to all over the floor. And began to look for more objects to break.

-------------------------------------------

Angela watched her best friend from the platform. She had been sitting at her desk with her head in her hands for over an hour, to where she thought that her best friend had fallen asleep. The artist continued doing her work until the faint ringing of Brennan's phone caused her to look up.

Angela loved Brennan's smile when her partner called, the subtle 'I'll see you in a few' smile. One of her named smile's were rare these days-narrowing down to 'Booth's making a sexual innuendo' smile or 'Booth's hand on her shoulder/arm/back' smile.

But the smile wasn't there, it faded and disappeared. Instead, she stood up and began to pace-a habit that was clearly new.

The crash of the mug, caused Angela to jump. Brennan had picked up her coffee cup and tossed it at the wall. Angela ran down the steps to her office, as the anthropologist began to pace faster, her eyes red and rimming with tears.

"Sweetie." She said, surprised by the spurt of anger from her friend. She leaned back to shout to Hodgins to call Booth when Brennan didn't respond to Angela in English.

Brennan was venting rapidly in French, something she only did when she didn't want anyone to understand, also something she hadn't done since she found out Hodgins could speak the language. Hodgins found his way next to the artist, only catching one in every four words.

"He's on his way. What wrong?" Asked Hodgins, watching worried.

"I don't know." Angela said, taking the steps to stand in front the pacing doctor. "Sweetie please, you are going to hurt yourself." Brennan ignored her and only began to talk faster, stepping on the glass and breaking it into even smaller pieces.

The couple watched helplessly as the sounds of Booth's footsteps running towards the office caught their attention. He was out of breath, obvious from running a great distance. "What's wrong?" He panted, watching his partner pace, who was oblivious to his arrival.

"She was sitting at her desk and got a phone call." Explained Angela. "She threw the mug on the floor and when I went to talk to her, she won't say anything in English." The artist was about to cry, the moisture in her eyes threatening to spill down her cheeks. "She hasn't done this in a very long time, vent in French."

Booth sat walked slowly closer to his partner. "Bones." He said firmly, she didn't hear him. "Temperance." She turned around as tears spilled down her cheeks. He opened his arms for her, and she immediately stepped into his embrace and the flood gates opened up.

The strong willed forensic anthropologist started to sob uncontrollably into his chest. Booth stumbled slightly to catch the new weight and he held her tighter, burying his face into her hair. He could see Angela and Hodgins take their leave, pulling the blinds closed behind them.

It took awhile for Brennan to compose herself enough to pull back and wipe the tears from her eyes. Booth brushed the hair out of her face, quietly waiting for her to speak. "I think I know what happened to me in New Orleans." She bit her lip. "No, I know what happened to me."

His hand went to her cheek. "Temperance." He whispered, the sinking feeling in his stomach arrived with a vengeance.

"I'm pregnant, Booth." She cried out, turning around out of his arms and walked to the window. "I don't know how. . .I mean I don't if I was raped or if I had some sexual relationship with Graham Leger-it had to have been him. I haven't. . .I didn't. . ."

"I know, Temperance." He said taking a seat on the couch, watching her pace back and forth.

"With everything going on, I didn't get the rape kit. . ." She said, her voice getting louder. "I can't have a baby, they need time and energy. I don't even know what to do with one."

"Bones. . ." He said softly, but her voice still grew louder.

"I didn't want children, Booth." She cried, her fist clenched tightly into a fist. "This isn't supposed to happen." Booth didn't say anything, listening to her cry-reading her like a book. "How am I supposed to deal with a child, abortion isn't an option . . . because. . ."

"Why?" Asked Booth, he was helping her rationalize the situation.

"Because it's murdering someone who doesn't even get a chance." She cried in a soft voice. "And because I don't want you to hate me because of it- Catholicism doesn't believe in abortion." He got to his feet and grabbed her hands.

"Hey," He said, lifting her chin to catch her eyes. They slanted away, looking at anything but the FBI agent. "Hey." He repeated again, a little more forcefully. "Look at me Temperance."

Temperance Brennan didn't usually take kindly to being ordered around, but she let her gaze life to meet his anyway. She saw the reassurance that she had seen in New Orleans.

They had gotten through New Orleans, solved the case of John Doe 361. . . together, but why did Booth have to go through this? It wasn't his fault that she was in this position; it didn't have anything to do with him. He only helped out of the trouble she found herself in. The baby didn't have a father, that was half of her problem and it wasn't even it's fault, for a brief second she let her mind wonder to wishing that it was her partners and not a dead co-worker that was killed in some ritualistic murder.

Little did she know, the same thoughts were running through her partners head. But her silent tears and pain filled eyes erased any other thought of his than that of her need for him, the comfort that he could give. Without another word, he gathered her back into his arms and she began to sob quietly into his shoulder.

"Its going to be alright, Bones. I promise." He said into her hair, rubbing her back softly in circles. "You are not alone in this, you have me and the rest of the squints and things will be alright."

"Don't make promises that you can't keep." She said, her sobs subsiding.

He pulled back and looked her in the eyes. "I haven't yet." He kissed her on the forehead and took her hand leading her to the couch. "You need to lay down for awhile, get some rest and we will figure this out later."

She nodded and laid down on the couch and Booth sat on the floor, holding her hand and with the other brushing the hair off her forehead. She hiccupped silently as the exhaustion finally caught up with her-the case, the pregnancy and learning of what happened to her missing day in New Orleans, she closed her eyes and instantly fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

1**Title: Torn on the Edge **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, sorry things have been a bit rough. But here it is...  
**

**Chapter Three**: **Restroom**

Brennan was asleep on her couch for over twenty minutes before Booth found it safe to leave the office to inform the entomologist and the artist that he had successfully calmed down the doctor and needed to figure out what to do with their forensic anthropologist. 

Angela and Hodgins were sitting on the steps of the platform talking softly about their friend, the artists eyes were red and puffy from obvious crying. They jumped to their feet at the sight of the FBI agent, which at some point had his white dress shirt untucked from his pants and he was loosening his tie. 

Booth slid his card into the reader and joined them on the steps, his hands running through the short dark hair. He gave a sigh of defeat and looked to his friends-Hodgins had his hand on Angela's back and the artist had a steady stream of tears running down her cheeks. They said nothing, only sitting on the step staring off to the anthropologist's office. 

Neither of the three knew what to say to each other. After a few moments of awkward silence Angela was the first to speak. "Was it that bad?" She asked. 

Booth nodded. "I convinced her to lay down for awhile before she had a panic attack." He said sadly, knowing that her entire world was crashing down around her and he didn't know how to be the foundation to stop it. 

"What do we do now?" Asked Hodgins, not bothering to ask what had happened-knowing they would be told in time. 

Booth shrugged and it worried them. The normally strong-willed Federal Bureau of Investigation agent was at a lost to them. "I don't know, I guess we just take it one day at a time." He responded after a long pause. 

The trio sat there for a moment longer as the phone in Brennan's office began to ring again. A collective 'fuck' came from them as they jumped to their feet and ran into the office, only to see Brennan answering the phone. 

They didn't hear the conversation, only the 'I'm on my way,' caught their attention. Booth glared at the phone, only the person on the other end didn't know it. "Bones?" He asked, startling her.

"That was Cam, there was a body found." She said, looking through the stack of papers on her desk and placing them neatly into a folder. The doctor went to her closet and pulled out her field kit, as if nothing had been wrong. 

He was about to comment when his own cell phone began to ring. "Booth . . . yes sir, I'm on my way. . . Yes sir, I will make sure they get there." He hung up the phone and looked between the entomologist, the artist and the anthropologist. "We've got a case." 

Angela looked to Hodgins; who had nothing to say. They watched Booth narrow in on Brennan, who was buzzing around her office, trying to figure out why she was missing things from her field kit. 

"Bones, I don't think you should go." He said, catching her attention as she put on her jump suit over her clothes. 

"What?" She said, not looking him in the eyes. "I'm fine." 

"You're not fine, Temperance." He said, placing a hand on her arm. Angela even shivered at the intensity of his words. The doctor stood her ground, her hands on her hips and trying her best to look intimidating. Booth didn't balk at her; only let her have her way-trying to intimidate him. 

"I am fine." She spit out the words with so much malice that it startled their friends. She turned her glare to her friends and they jumped out of her office to grab their own things. 

Booth glared back, she was doing what she did best-detaching herself from the situation-and he'd be damned that he would let her do that and right now he was going to give her what she wanted, but she wasn't going to make herself sick. 

Upon arriving at the scene, Brennan walked briskly in front of Booth and took in the scenery around her. A large garbage truck was lying on its side as-as the contents of the garbage truck laid sprawled along the pavement. FBI tech's and Jeffersonian staff were knee deep in the random mess of garbage; she took note that there was not fire or chemical spill, so the remains had to have been inside of the truck. 

A wave of nausea rushed through her and she successfully brushed it aside as she walked over to her boss, who was sifting through a large dark bag. "You asked for me?" Asked Brennan. 

"You might want to prepare yourself." Said the pathologist, with a small smile. "Or not." She lifted the what seemed to be linen and revealed the skeleton. 

"What garbage has to smell that bad to cover the smell of a rotting corpse?" Asked Booth from behind somewhere, Brennan didn't really notice, or care. 

"It looks to be a minor." Said Cam, looking to Brennan. 

"And if you agree, then it falls under FBI jurisdiction." Said Booth, not at all impressed by her being in the field, let alone the prospect of a new case in the time that Brennan needed to come into terms of her condition. 

Brennan kneeled closer and placed the gloves onto her small hands. "Male, definitely adolescent." She said, looking up to her partner and then back to Hodgins, who was kneeling next to her. 

"Flatworms, necrofungus flies, and beetles, he has been garbage here for about three weeks." Said the entomologist, standing up to look at the trash into more detail. 

"His femurs are shattered." Said Brennan, removing some of the clothes out of the way. 

"From the truck flipping over?" Asked Booth. 

"No, they are congruent with a fall." She said, slowly looking up to him, as if she wanted to say more. 

Booth almost faltered. "What do you guys need." He asked, placing his hand over his nose and walking out of the pile of garbage. 

"All of it." Said Hodgins, setting down a large piece of wire. 

"All of it?" Questioned Booth, with a raised brow. 

"The whole disgusting shebang." Clarified the entomologist with a smile on his face, looking like a child in a candy store. He picked up a large bag and tossed it aside, to look at the insects that had collected on a piece of moldy bread that had escaped its prison of a garbage bag.

Brennan had secured the body in record time, the smell was finally catching up to her and she stood to full height. She gave the tech's instructions and walked away from the scene, gasping for breath as the nausea hit her harder this time. 

Booth had followed her and placed a hand on her back as she emptied the contents of her stomach on to the sidewalk. He didn't say anything, he didn't have to-the nausea from the smell, adrenaline and the newly discovered baby was catching up to her. 

When she composed herself, she immediately started to walk away. "I would like you to take me back to the Jeffersonian." She said, almost coldly. 

"Bones." He interjected, almost bothered by her coldness. "Its almost four, and your exhausted." 

"I took a nap." She snapped, opening the car door. "I am fine."

He wisely said nothing and started the car to take her back to the Jeffersonian, casting worried glances to her as she stared blankly out the window. Along the way, he opened his mouth to speak, only to shut it again-not finding the words to say to her. The fact alone terrified him.

Brennan walked up the stairs of the platform, putting her lab coat on as she stood next to her assistant and her boss and placed the small latex gloves onto her hands. Her assistant began to describe what he saw in the remains-as her boss added.

"No visible tats or track marks." Said Cam, as Booth found his way up the platform.

"You sound surprised." Said Brennan, looking up from the remains.

"Well its pretty obvious Bones, its either a junkie or a hustler." Said Booth, setting down the file next to the remains.

"Why make that assumption?" Brennan asked appalled, at what she was hearing.

"Not many kids from the suburbs end up rotting in trash." Explained Cam, with a raised brow. "Fun factoid from the front line."

To save from any argument, Angela walked up the platform with a huge grin-only faltering for half a second seeing her best friend looking angry. "Want to see something cool?" She asked.

The four followed Angela into her office to see the linen that the remains were wrapped in laying flat on the table. The artist began to explain the process of finding the face in the 'shroud of Montenegro' as the forensic anthropologist couldn't keep her attention from wandering.

The list of things she needed to do, or had an obligation to do: finish her novel, find her father, go to the doctors and the list kept getting longer. The thoughts swam through her head as the face came on the screen and caught her attention. "I'm no expert, but that does not look like a street kid." She said to herself.

Booth looked at her, wanting desperately to tell her not to take this personally. "I'm running our facial reconstruction through the database for missing and exploited persons." Faces on the other screen began to be scanned for similarities.

"That's a lot of children." Commented Cam, looking over the artist's shoulder.

"This is only the local, lets just hope we don't have to go national." Said Booth, crossing his arms.

"Narrow the search to street kids and kids in the foster system." Said Cam, leaning over Angela's shoulder to see the faces change faster.

"Why?" Asked Brennan.

"Because statistically that's where this kid comes from." Snapped Cam.

"Its to early for us to narrow our focus." Argued Brennan, standing to full height.

"I've done my fair share of autopsies on kids, Doctor Brennan. Car accidents, drownings, drug overdoses come from a broad search, but kids found in a dumpster are street kids." Cam said firmly, her eyes not looking from the screen.

Before she could retort Angela spoke. "Found him. Dylan Krane, seventeen. Honor student from Alexandria."

"I can't work like this." She said angrily, turning on her heels and walked out of the office. The four looked at each other shocked by her abruptness, and Booth ran after her.

"Think its to premature to start looking for her replacement?" Cam asked herself and Angela look to her with a grim smile.

"Doctor Saroyan, I don't want to be overly dramatic or anything, but if you lose Brennan-you lose us all. Booth too." Said Angela, turning her attention to the computer and began to read the profile. "Last seen with Kelly Morris who happens to be in the foster system."

Booth caught up to his partner in time to see her run into the restroom, he picked up his pace and followed her before she could lock anyone out. He pushed open the door and caught the sound of her emptying her stomach into the toilet.

He came around the largest stall to see her kneeling on the floor, he pulled her hair back out of her face and waited for her to finish.

When she stopped she started to cry and sat down completely on the floor, in between Booths legs-he wrapped his arms around her some frame as she broke down once again.

"I can't do this." She repeated.

Booth placed his hands on both sides of her face. "You, Temperance Brennan can do anything." He said, looking her in the eye. She looked skeptical, the tears flowing down her cheek only added to her frustration. She opened her mouth to speak, but he interrupted. "You are not in this alone, Bones. I am right here to help you-I'm not going to let you go in this alone."

A flash of anger flushed through her eyes as she pulled away slightly. Booth knew the thoughts running through her head, all the men in her life had abandoned her along the way. "No, Bones." Booth said, before she could say anything. "I will not abandon you, I am not your father or your brother. You need to trust me on this one Bones."

He had his hands back on her cheeks, his brown eyes mixing with her icy blue ones, as she processed what he had just said to her. "What do I tell this child, Booth? 'Oh who is your father? Some man I met in New Orleans that I don't know if he raped me or not and who I was accused of murdering but turned out to be some ritualistic murder, but hey I love you."

"You can tell him . . .or her that, if you want. Or you can tell the child that I am the father." He had never sounded more sure of anything in his life, everything he doubted-or had time to doubt- was becoming clear.

Brennan jumped to her feet and began to pace again in the confines of the handicap stall. "Think about it Bones, I am your partner. . ."

"No, I don't think raising my child is in the job description." She cried, her hands wrapped tightly around herself.

" You're my best friend and I would do anything for you. I'm going to be there every step of the way, whether you like it or not. The baby needs a male role model."

"It won't look anything like you, you don't share any of its genetic make up and you have no biological ties to the infant. . ." She started to read off anthropological reasons for men not to raise their own biological children.

"It doesn't matter Bones, hopefully it would look like you, that is all that matters." He said, jumping to his feet and watched her walk back and forth.

"I can't ask you to give your up your life to come babysit me, you have son Booth and excellent potential to find a mate, get married and have more children." She cried softly. "No man is ever going to want a pregnant woman, I am swearing off men forever. I can't do it anymore. . .I can't. ." Her eyes were no longer angry, just sad.

Booth wished a long painful death on any man that ever hurt his partner and friend. "Bones, don't worry about that okay? I just don't see that happening." The thought of himself with another woman exasperated him, he couldn't see himself with other than Doctor Temperance Brennan.

"But what if it does." Brennan wiped the tears from the eyes. "You find some gorgeous blonde, probably a lawyer, and run away into the cliched sunset."

A flash of hurt crossed his features, even though he knew she was just lashing out, her words cut him deep. "Do you really think I would do that to you?" He asked, and she shook her head negatively.

She began to sob again and he took her into his arms. "Bones, I've told you many times that I am going to help you with this and the squint squad is going to be there for you-you are not alone." She quieted and closed her eyes as he held her tighter. "Let me take you home, Bones."She nodded, but didn't move-knowing that she looked horrible. "Why don't you clean up and I will go get your things and come back." She nodded again as Booth walked out of the woman's bathroom.

Hodgins was standing at the computer next to the door, shooting Booth a questioning look-knowing that it had something to do with their friend. "Don't let anyone in there until I get back." The entomologist nodded.

As Booth neared Brennan's office, he was stopped by Doctor Saroyan who blocked the way into her office. "Have you seen the good doctor?" Asked the pathologist.

"I am taking her home." Said Booth, dodging Cam to get into his partners office.

"Oh." Cam said slowly, the anger building up. She was supposed to be the one in charge, not some forensic anthropologist who thought she got everything she wanted. "Seeley, can I ask you something?"

"Sure." He said, sitting at her desk and closing the documents on the computer and shutting it down.

"If Doctor Brennan was to quit. . ." She asked as an open ended question.

"What?" He said looking up from the computer.

"If she were to leave the Jeffersonian?"

"Well, the squints would flee this institution like the french army." Booth said with a slight chuckle.

"And you?" Asked Cam, almost worried about the answer. She ran her fingers through her hair, a nervous trait that she had picked up from New York.

"I go where I'm assigned." He said with the shrug of his shoulders, standing up and not making eye contact with her.

"No you don't, Seeley." Said Cam, folding her arms-looking for something to keep her hands busy.

He looked up from the papers he was shuffling. "Ok here we go, what is going on Camille?" He asked.

"What if I fired her? What would you do?" She asked, standing confident in front of the FBI agent, who finished organizing the desk.

"I'm with Bones, Cam. All the way, don't doubt that for a second." He said, before grabbing her jacket and bag, and was about to walk out the door before he stopped. "Oh Cam, maybe you just got off on the wrong foot on this case with her, because she was a foster child."

The feeling of guilt almost made the strong woman drop to her knees. "Why didn't she tell me?" Asked Cam, not looking at Booth.

"She doesn't do that. Oh, by the way, I didn't just tell you that." Said Booth and walked out the door.


	4. Chapter 4

1**Title: Torn on the Edge **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, this one doesn't really involve an episode . . . people said I should steer clear of episodes for a while, I will for this one and you can tell me what you want from there . . . I do want to write at least two more episodes into the story . . . Aliens in the Spaceship and Judas on the Pole. **

**Oh, note...I'm not pregnant, nor have I ever been pregnant and I've been trying to do research on being pregnant, so if something is wrong or what not let me know and I will fix it in later chapters. Or if you have pregnant ideas... that would save time.**

**Rating: T (mature themes, etc.) **

**Chapter Four: **

Two weeks passed since she had found out that she was pregnant, the world hadn't collapsed and Brennan was still breathing, walking and living-as was the small being inside of her. She sat on a chair on the platform watching the rest of the staff at the Medico-Legal lab buzz around the lab doing their job. Brennan couldn't concentrate, she had a secret and felt that everyone knew.

She fidgeted in her chair, watching the staff walk around the platform-doing their job, exactly what she should be doing. The World War II victim wasn't going to identify himself, neither was the final draft of her novel. Her best friend fluttered around behind her looking for random art supplies that she had left laying around, taking notice of the jumpy forensic anthropologist.

"Sweetie, are you all right?" She asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. She jumped at the at contact as if she was burned and Angela pulled her hand back, startled.

"Fine . . . " Brennan answered, standing up to look over the remains again and taking note on the condition of the skeleton. Male, between the age of twenty and twenty-five, bullet holes through the skull was the cause of death.

"Bren, you haven't said anything all day and you as white as a ghost." Commented the artist.

"I'm fine." Again answered Brennan, ignoring the wave of nausea that went through her. She turned to her friend to prove that she was fine. Angela wasn't stupid, she knew something was on her friends mind and she could only speculate what had her so withdrawn.

A small smile came to her face as her partner found his way onto the platform and next to her side. His hand went immediately to the small of her back and she seemed to have melted to his touch. "Hi Angela, Bones." He said with his charm smile.

Angela nodded her greeting and took her cue to leave. "Are you ready to go?" Asked the agent and Brennan got to her feet. It had taken him two weeks to convince her to go see a doctor, he set the appointment himself and today he was taking her first doctor appointment.

"Yeah, I guess so." She said, her voice getting smaller and her confidence draining from her.

The silence in the car had almost been unbearable for Special Agent Seeley Booth. He opened his mouth to talk only to be answered by silence. Had he not helped Brennan into the car, he wouldn't have known she was in there, sitting right there next to him. He pulled the car into the Washington General Hospital and turned off the car. "Come on Bones or we will be late for your appointment."

He met her at the front of the SUV and took her small hand in his own and walked the distance to the third floor. She sat down in the standard hospital chairs as Booth checked her in, coming back to sit next to her with a clipboard in hand. "Here, fill this out."

She was numb all over again and took the clipboard and began to fill out the standard questions: _Name_: Temperance Brennan, _Age:_ 30." The list went on and she froze when the standard forms became more specific, asking about the father of the child and about her family both rough subjects.

Booth felt her tense up next to him and took the paperwork from her. "I'll finish it for you." He said and filled it out the best that he could; _Smoking? _No, _First Pregnancy? _Yes,_ Father of Child,_ taking a mental note to look up more information on Graham Leger. He gave it back to the head nurse and returned to his seat, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her to his side. "It's going to be all right, Temperance."

"I don't know anything about Graham that is medically relevant, or my own family for that matter." She said, placing her head in her hand, he rubbed her back to calm her down.

"Temperance, we can figure it out. We can call your brother, and I am sure that he knows something about your family medical history." Explained Booth, as she surrendered to his touch. "I will look up Graham Leger when I go back into work."

Her head left her hands and looked to her partner. "Thanks." She said in a small voice.

"You're welcome." He said as Brennan's name was called by the dark-skinned nurse. She stood up slowly and waited for him to lead the way through the door way into a long hall way-pictures of babies hung on the wall, catching Brennan's breath as she was ushered onto the scale.

Out of privacy, Booth turned his back as the nurse took her weight and smiled slightly when she cursed about gaining weight. When the nurse argued back that the she was underweight for her height.

To save them from a full on argument, Booth smiled and took her hand. "Easy Bones, you're supposed to gain-your pregnant." He said with a smile. The nurse lead them to a room at the end of the hall, handing Brennan a gown. "I'm going to step outside, so you can put that on."

She nodded as she started to unbutton her jeans. She pulled on the gown and sat on the table as Booth tapped on the door. "Come in." She said as he stepped through the door, taking a seat next to her on the table.

"I've requested information on Leger, it will be in my office by the time I get back." He said, with a small smile. She didn't look so sure and he placed his hand on her thigh. "Don't worry Temperance."

Before she could respond, the doctor walked into the room. "Ms. Brennan." He said looking at the chart, before adjusting his glassed and corrected himself. "Doctor Brennan, I apologize. My name is Doctor Gregory Johnston." Extending his hand for her to shake. "And you are?" Looking to Booth, who had jumped to his feet and took his hand in his.

"Seeley Booth." He said, returning the gesture.

"Are you the father?" Asked the doctor, taking his seat on the wheeled chair next to the ultrasound machine, his eyes not leaving the chart.

"Yes." He answered, gaining a glare from the forensic anthropologist. "Not biologically though, we are looking into the biological father." He said sounding as official as he could, hoping the doctor would drop the subject.

The doctor took the hint and motioned for Brennan to lie back and place her legs in the stirrups and Booth stood at her head and she held his hand tightly. The room was awkwardly silent as he finished the pelvic exam, when he finished he stood up too full height-he wasn't a tall man, almost a head shorter than Booth. "Things seem well down there, now lets figure out how old this little one is." He covered her legs and pulled up the gown to expose her still flat stomach.

The woman flinched when he placed the cold probe on her stomach and the black and grey image came to the screen. The stereotypical picture of an ultrasound filled the screen-a lot of black and white blobs and a fluttering blob. "That there is your baby's heart beat on the monitor." He switched probes to another so they could hear the beat.

Brennan held back her tears. "From the looks of the fetus, the embryonic tail is gone and the ears are beginning to form-placing this baby at eight weeks old and I would place the due date in the first week of June. I will give you sometime alone."

The tears escaped the dam and fell down her cheeks, she stared at the screen not looking at her partner. Booth sat on the table again, facing her head. "Tell me what your thinking Bones." He said softly.

She sat up and he opened her arms to her and she fell into his embrace, her arms around his waist and her head on his chest. "It seems so surreal." She whispered.

"I know." He said into her hair.

"Do you really think I can do this? Be this child's mother?" She asked, turning her head to the screen-but not moving her head off his chest.

"I know you can, Temperance. You and me-together." He reassured as the doctor came back with a handful of pamphlets.

"Doctor Brennan, here are all the do's and don'ts of pregnancy, some for you Mr. Booth and two copies of the sonogram. I would like to see you in two to three weeks as you head into the second trimester of your pregnancy." He said shaking their hands before leaving so Brennan could get dressed.

Only this time Booth didn't leave, only turning his back slightly as Brennan pulled her jeans back on over her slender legs. He turned back as she shyly buttoned her dark brown blouse and knocked her necklace askew. Booth reached back and adjusted the necklace, causing her to blush slightly. "Come on, Bones. Let's get some food in you."

They sat at the at a corner booth at a small Italian restaurant and Brennan almost happily eating the pasta that sat in front of her. Booth watched her with a smile, he hadn't seen her that calm since before New Orleans.

"Are you going to eat your garlic bread?" She asked innocently, a soft smile on her own lips.

"It's all yours." He said, placing it on her plate and she picked it up and began to munch on it. "So garlic, huh?" She nodded, guiltily, taking another bite. "Better be careful with that one, Bones, or you will start to smell."

"I know, I know." She said, twirling the noodles on her fork and taking a bite of it.

Booth returned his attention to his chicken Parmesan, only to look and notice that the tomato's had been pushed aside. He was amused at her new eating habits, this was going to be an interesting few months.

"You want to know what I'm really craving?" She asked placing her fork down.

"What?" He asked, watching as she picked up the small dessert menu, her half-eaten spaghetti was forgotten. Booth's smile grew into his patented charm smile, Brennan was bouncing around in her seat.

"Oreo ice cream." She said with a coy smile.

He chuckled and placed some bills on the table and got to his feet, holding his hand to pull her to her feet. "Come on, Bones. There's an ice cream shop down the road." She didn't let go of his hand as they walked out of the restaurant.

They sat on a bench outside the small ice cream shop as Brennan ate the Oreo shake with a content smile on her face. Booth leaned back and his arm rested innocently along her shoulders, to the layman eye they looked like a happy couple, and Booth was willing to play the part-despite the struggle to get this far.

"You didn't have to buy the shake for me, Booth." She said, taking a bite of the creamy goodness.

"It's alright." He responded. "I just want you to be happy, and if buying you some ice cream would help, then hell, I'll buy you all the ice cream you can eat."

She chuckled slightly, holding out the spoon for him to take a bite. He accepted and it spilled down his chin, Brennan reached over and wiped it with some of the unhealthy stack of napkins she was given, causing a slight flush on both their cheeks.

When her arm returned to its place at her side, she tried to stifle a yawn and was unsuccessful. "Come on, Bones. You need a nap." He said, standing up and pulling her to her feet.

"No, I need to go back. . ."she said through a yawn. "To the lab."

"Bones, my apartment is just down the road-you could take a nap and then I will take you back to the lab if you want." He placed his hand on her stomach, for the first time; sending shivers through the doctor. "Its not just you in there anymore-you need to slow down." He said, taking her hand and leading her to the SUV.

The three minute drive back to his apartment seemed enough to lull Brennan asleep. Her head rested innocently on the window and her lips parted slightly as Booth pulled into his assigned stall.

Instead of waking her, he got out of the drivers seat, opened her door and picked her up. Shutting the door with his foot he headed to his assigned apartment, musing slightly that she was a bit heavier than the last time he had to pick her up-not that he was going to tell her that, but it caused him to smile that she was going to give parenthood a shot, and let him lead the way.

He carried her to his door, where he skillfully unlocked his door and again shut the door with his foot. Booth took her to his bedroom, where he sat her down gently on the bed, pulling off her shoes and the clip that held back her hair, letting it flow down on the pillow. He covered her with a blanket that rested on the foot of the bed and walked to the living room.

He sat on the couch and pulled out the pamphlets from his jacket pocket. Nothing that he didn't already know was filled through each as he read them, No alcohol, sushi or caffeine. Avoid certain exercises, but exercise often. Lamaze classes, etc. The sonogram fell to the floor and he picked it up, remembering the features that the doctor had pointed out.

A knock on the door gained his attention, he set the picture down and went to answer it. It was his son and ex. "Sorry Seeley, he forgot his Thomas the Engine toy and was throwing a fit over it." Apologized Rebecca.

"Go grab it, bud. Just be really, really quiet." Booth said as the blond mass ran around him to his room. He stepped aside and allowed his ex to step into the room.

Her eyes went to the pamphlets on the table and curiosity got the best of her. "Something your not sharing with the class, Seeley?" She said with her wry humor.

"That is my baby." He said firmly, a sly smile on his face. It was really the first time he had gotten to say that out loud and not to a doctor.

The expression dropped from her face. "Who is the mother?" She asked, knowing clearly that it wasn't any of her business.

"Temperance Brennan." He said, the sly smile not leaving his face. "Please don't say anything to anybody, Rebecca-she isn't ready to share it yet."

Rebecca smiled, truly understanding her predicament and that there was something more to it that he was giving off. "I won't say anything, Seeley, congratulations." She gave him a hug, actually feeling good for the father of her son. "When are you going to tell your own son that he is going to be a big brother?"

"Whenever she is comfortable with it, she is still in shock about it." Answered Booth as his son ran back with his toy. He picked up his son and kissed him on the cheek before setting him on the ground. "She's only eight weeks along."

"Congratulations, Seeley." She said again before turning around to leave, she stopped. "If you need anything-or if she needs anything, don't hesitate to call me."

"Thanks, Rebecca." He shut the door after she stepped into the hallway, then walked back to his bedroom.

Brennan was asleep on her side, grasping the pillow slightly with one of her hands, looking the most at peace since she had been back from New Orleans. He sat on the bed and brushed a strand of hair off her face, content that she was comfortable he went back to the living room and picked up his favorite novel and began to read on his couch.


	5. Chapter 5

**Title: Torn on the Edge **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing **

**Episode-Aliens in the Spaceship, it's the last one-I promise…I will do something different for Judas on a Pole. Thanks for the reviews! They make me happy...I hope you enjoy! This chapter is a BIG leap of Booth/Brennan's relationship.**

**As I was writing it, I was getting ideas...Is anyone else offended by Brennan/Hodgins shipping? I found myself not upset by it... isn't that weird? Booth and Brennan all the way, of course...**

**Chapter 5: Car**

Booth sat at his desk with a small smile on his face, even though there was a serial killer on the loose and the bodies of two brothers had been found, didn't change Booth's mood at all. In his hands held the picture of the sonogram, taken almost two and a half weeks ago, of the child growing in his partner's belly. The thought of the last few weeks made his smile grow wider-the independent woman that was Temperance Brennan, had been relying on him to help her through. Not that it mattered to him.

His cell phone began to ring in his pocket and he quickly pulled it out, hoping it was his said partner. "Booth." He said out of habit.

"Temperance Brennan and Jack Hodgins have been buried alive." Said the distorted voice, the FBI agent began to panic. "Eight million dollars must be placed into an account in the Cayman Islands in exchange for the coordinates for Brennan and Hodgins. You have 12 hours."

The line went dead.

The word _fuck_ escaped his lips as he jumped to his feet, and ran out of his office to the Jeffersonian.

--

He reached the institution in less than five minutes, ran up the platform without swiping his card into the reader, and the squints looked to him in confusion and alarm. "That son of a bitch has Bones and Hodgins." He said, his voice rose in anger.

Angela dropped the tray of pencils she was holding and her hand went to her mouth, Cam and Zack just looked to him, wondering what to do. "Where was she going?" Asked Booth, his voice not quieting.

"She was going to see you; she found something in the remains." Said Cam, looking to her hands uncomfortably.

"Why was Hodgins with her?" He asked, beginning to pace back and forth.

"He had something he wanted to show her." Answered Zack in a very small voice. As much as he admired the man, he was still terrified.

"What?" He asked, lowering his voice. He didn't want to take it out on the younger squint, and Brennan would not like him taking it out on the youngest squint.

"I don't know, he said that he found it and wanted to catch her before she left." Responded Zack.

"He must have ran into her in the parking garage." Said Cam, the four looked to each other and ran off the platform to the garage.

Upon arriving, Brennan's car still stood in its assigned spot and the pool of blood on the cement wasn't helping the cause. Booth took a breath to calm himself, panicking wasn't going to help the situation.

"How much does he want?" Asked Cam.

"Eight million." Answered Booth, looking to the youngest squint. "I need you to be Brennan."

"I don't know what that means." He squeaked, jumping at Booth's tone.

"It means continue working the case, Zack." Said Angela before Booth could retort. He took a deep breath and handed out assignments, Cam and Zack ran back towards the lab-leaving Angela alone with the agent. "We'll find them, Booth." She was saying just as much for herself as for him.

Booth didn't say anything, just stared at the blood on the ground, knowing that it wasn't hers. "She's pregnant, Angela." He said after along pause.

Angela gasped and tears began to form. "What?" She asked.

"She is just over ten weeks." Said Booth, closing his eyes. The reality of the situation was catching up with him and slowly bringing Angela with him.

"Oh god, really?" Asked the artist, her hands dropping to her hips. "Whose the . . ."

"I am, sort of." He said, Angela threw her arms around the man, embracing him in one of her super strong hugs.

"Sort of?" Asked Angela, pulling out of the embrace as they started to walk into the Jeffersonian.

"It's a long story." He said tiredly. "Bones and I will tell you some other time. Right now, we need to focus on finding her and the bug man."

She placed a hand on his shoulder. "There is the man I know and love, we'll find her- and you two have a lot of explaining to do."

--

Brennan woke up with a start. She groaned slightly and began to take in her surroundings; she was in a car, but didn't recognize it. Looking to the radio the clock lit up brightly as Hinder belted from the speakers softly. Fearing the worst she reached for the handle and tried to open the door-pressing her weight into it. "Come on." She mumbled, rolling down the window slightly as dirt fell through.

Brennan closed her eyes tightly and willed the panic away as a groan came from the backseat, turning in the driver's seat to see her friend lying in the back. "Oh god, Hodgins, can you hear me?" She shook his leg, softly and pulled her hand back to see his blood covering her small hand. "Your legs, what happened to your legs?"

He was confused. "Where are we?" He asked, his voice a pitch higher.

"We are buried alive, he must have caught us." She said, climbing into the backseat-shedding her over shirt.

"Who?" He asked.

"The Gravedigger." She answered, pressing her shirt to his bleeding legs. He hissed in pain and closed his eyes. Reaching in the front seat, she grabbed a bottle of water and preceded to poor it onto his leg. "I was going to go to my yoga class after I talked with Booth, so I have plenty of water."

"What happened? Where are we?" He asked again.

She bit her lip nervously, "The last thing I remember was being in the lab. I've got burns on the back of my neck." She was trying to speak slowly for him to comprehend.

The reality of the situation was catching up to him. "How long have we been down here?" He asked after a long pause.

She checked her watch. "Just over two hours, I think." She said, and those two words that she rarely used out of unknowing.

"So the vehicle is sixty cubic feet of air, it's just twenty percent and two people." He closed his eyes. "My brain isn't working."

Brennan placed more pressure on his leg and he groaned louder this time. Tying the shirt around his leg to stifle the bleeding, she climbed into the front seat and pulled out everything from her bag and he handed her his bag. "We've got water, towels, my mini kit, ibuprofen, a handful of pens. . ."

"The ones a lazar pointer." Hodgins added.

". . . Two cell phones, without batteries, a digital camera with extra batteries and a copy of my novel and some other books." She listed and placed them on the passenger seat. She looked at the titles of the books that she didn't read out loud. What to expect when your Expecting and Your Pregnancy, Week by Week, he didn't need to know about those.

"Good, we can read to each other if we get bored." He said, his humor always shone through. "Oh god, something is wrong with my leg." Brennan took out some of the ibuprofen and handed them it him.

"I'm worried that you have compartment syndrome." She said, looking at his leg that was sitting in between the seats.

"Is that terminal?" He asked.

"No, but you could slip into shock and die." She answered, tearing his pant leg even further. She noticed a foreign object and chose to deal with it later, setting it in the larger of the pregnancy volumes. Hodgins tore a page from the novel and quickly scribbled a note on to its page before shoving it into his pocket. "Is that a note to Angela?"

He nodded. "Yes, just in case whatever you do to me sends me into shock, but the good thing is that with me not breathing-you'll have a greater chance of survival." He said with a smile, and she only shook her head.

"I'm not interested in surviving that way, you are coming out of this with me Hodgins." She said, she began to explain what she was about to do. "Don't fight passing out."

Brennan placed the sharp end into the fascia pulling it down the long side of his leg, and Hodgins screamed in pain before passing out.

The doctor winced at him before turning her attention to trying to get help. She fought a wave of nausea-knowing the little one inside of her wasn't impressed by her current state of distress. The ideas were running rampant in her head-this is what Booth was good for, coming up with the idea and Zack could have put it to use. She closed her eyes, willing the nausea to disappear-it was suppose to be going away by now, that was the book said, when the idea finally came to her after some time of arguing with herself.

Brennan grabbed her cell phone, when the song on the radio caught her attention, it wasn't any song in particular, the point that they had radio reception. She took the knife and pulled off the horn cap, taking out the wires.

---

The squints were pacing on the platform at the Medico-Legal lab.

"How are we going to get our hands on eight million dollars?" Asked Cam, taking a seat-next to the examination table.

"Hodgins is rich." Said Zack in a rush.

"He is?" Asked Cam, looking brighter.

"Rich squared to the power of ten times four, is what he always says." Said Zack, looking more glum. Booth walked up the stairs, looking lost as a child.

"We're going to pay the ransom, right?" Asked Angela, looking to Booth. Each trying to be strong as the other, but both breaking down.

"Yes, it operates outside statistics-so the FBI won't help." Answered the agent, taking off his jacket.

"They'll fire you." Cam gasped

"Well one last reason to wear a suit." He snapped, pacing like a caged lion.

Cam clasped her hands together. "Come on, lets figure this out, people." She said with fake confidence. Angela took her leave and Booth followed her, before being stopped by the pathologist. "Did you get a hold of the Cantilever group?"

"I can't get the ransom, not in time. They have this policy where they won't give any money unless there is proof of life. No proof, no money." Booth said, placing his hand his eyes to stifle the headache that was approaching.

"Even for the boss?" Asked Cam, placing a hand on his arm.

"Its his rule, no exceptions. What we need is more time, but the Gravedigger doesn't give us that or proof of life." He said, raising his voice.

"Booth, I don't think its coincidence that he took her when he did."

"Yeah, I was sort of thinking the same thing." He said, before walking away-back to the Hoover Building.

---

The anthropologist pressed the horn, causing the entomologist in the backseat to jump awake. "Thank god, I didn't kill you." She whispered.

"How long was I unconscious?" He asked, sitting up a bit.

"Not long." She said, wiring the phone to the horn. "How are you feeling."

"Better, what are you doing?" He asked.

"Hotwiring the phone to the horn to send a message." She answered, not looking at him. "We get radio reception, so I figured it could work."

"Might work." He commented with a smile. "Long enough to get a single message out."

"Then Booth can trace the signal to a relay tower." She answered, making his smile bigger-she had so much faith in the man she was practically glowing.

"What do we say? Goodbye or nice knowing you?" He asked.

"Well what are we surrounded by?" She answered.

"Pain, despair and a subsoil accumulation of agglutinate arid sols?"

"Dirt." She said.

"I don't like that word." He was about to go into his speech about dirt, and the works.

She reached at her feet and pulled out some of the dirt that had fallen in. "Then tell me what I don't know."

He looked at the dirt and analyzed it. "I know where we are." He said.

"How fast is your text messaging?" She handed him the jerry-rigged phone.

"Thumbs of lightning." He said, quickly pressing the buttons and sending it as it sparked. They jumped away from the phone. "Did it go?"

Booth sat on his desk, breathing like a mad man. Vega had just left-almost grasping for life. Booth almost ended it and wouldn't be surprised if his superior found out about it. His partner had been missing for over eight hours, they had two hours to find her before she and Hodgins would die.

His phone began to ring from the desk. Bones flashed on the outer screen, his eyes shot wide. He opened the phone to see a text message sent from his partner.

"I think so." She was being positive, catching Hodgins off guard. He was looking her over, he had noticed something different about her in the last couple of week but couldn't place his finger on it. "What?"

"I don't know, you seem different." He said, folding his arms.

She bit her lip nervously again before reaching into her bag, pulling out a picture before handing it to him. It was no use hiding it anymore, if they didn't make it at least someone else knew about her secret. She handed it to him.

It was the sonogram.

"Is this a sonogram?" He asked, looking it over. Just as he placed the puzzle pieces together he gasped. She said nothing, only nodded. "Oh, Doctor Brennan." He said, taking her hand in his. She climbed back into the backseat and sat next to him, the tears pooling from her eyes.

"You're the first person I've told, other than Booth." She cried, wiping her eyes.

"Is he the father?" He asked, knowing it was a borderline question.

"No." She said, looking away from him. "But he wants to be." She laid her head on the seat and closed her eyes; the lack of oxygen was making her tired.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Asked Hodgins with a raised eyebrow.

The events of the last ten weeks had hit her and the reality of the situation became real. "I had asked him-what do I tell this child when it's born. Do I tell it that I was possibly raped in New Orleans by a man, who was killed in a voodoo ritualistic murder, but hey, half your genes are mine and I love you." She said with the same remorse as the first time.

"Doctor Brennan." He said with a sigh, leaning over to give her a hug.

She sat back up and wiped the fallen tears out of her eyes, she had a smile on her face-confusing the entomologist. "I think that today is the first time that I have actually been ok about being pregnant. I'm about to die, but I am ok with being it."

Hodgins chuckled, picking up the knife from the front seat and began to stab the seat. "There should be a spare tire back there, that'll prolong life some." He said. The car was silent, save for Hodgins cutting through the seat. "So… how far long are you?" He attempted to make conversation.

"Just over ten weeks." She said proudly, setting her hand on her flat stomach. "I've bought four books on pregnancy development. . ." She stuttered, trying to find rationality for her actions.

"Well it's good to have." Answered Hodgins as he dug deeper to the trunk, before handing the knife to Brennan to give her a go. "Tell me what your baby is going through at ten weeks." He figured that talking about it with someone other than her partner was making her feel better about the whole thing, not that her partner was a bad thing-Hodgins shook his head-Booth was a very good thing.

-----

The squints sat around the screen: six, seven, sixteen and m one point four was foreign to them and they had never felt more misguided. The time clock had ran out and they were all in a panic.

Zack sat at the computer when his brain placed all the pieces together. "I got it." He turned to another computer and the three followed, Angela took Booths hand in hers. Knowing they both needed each other.

"Its talking about the periodic table: Carbon, Nitrogen and Sulfur. They are buried in coal rich country-Virginia." Typing faster the screen changed to a map and the point was narrowed. "I found them."

Both the forensic anthropologist and the entomologist laid their head on the back seat after Brennan finished digging for the spare tire and punctured the tire. "How much extra time?" asked Hodgins.

"Not much." She answered. "Booth will find us."

"You have a lot of faith in Booth." He saw with a smile, knowing it ran deeper than her pregnancy.

"Faith is an irrational belief in something that is logically impossible." She said breathlessly. "Working with him, seeing what he can do, I know that he can do it. It has nothing to do with faith."

"No offense, I'm not saying this because you filleted me with a knife-we are running really low on air and we don't know if our message got out, let alone if anyone understood it, what you have is faith baby." Brennan smiled, he saw right through her. "Sorry. .."

She placed her fingers on his lips, "We shouldn't talk, to conserve air."

He sat up and as like the light turned on in his brain. "I need the camera batteries and the preserve powder from your kit." He said and she moved to grab the desired objects.

"Soda, ash and lithium?" She asked, and he nodded. "Your going to make a carbon dioxide scrubber?"

"If you can perform surgery out of thin air, I can make a little thin air out of thin air." He said with a smile, placing the contents together as the car filled with more oxygen. She climbed into the front seat. "What are you doing?"

"Attempting my next idea that will probably kill us." She answered, using the knife to pry open the dash board. "Airbags."

"You know there isn't really air in those, right." He asked, looking skeptical.

"I'm not looking to stay down here, I'm looking to blow ourselves out." She said, pulling out the wires to look them over.

"Using the explosives?" He asked, appalled. "That could definitely kill us."

"So will nothing." She replied, her attention on the project ahead.

"Will it work?" He asked after a moment of silence.

"I'm not really an explosives expert, but in theory the dash might shape the charge to blow out the windshield, if we are less than four feet below the surface than we're free." She answered looking over her work, making sure that nothing got left out. "If we are more than four feet deep the concussion will turn our brains to jelly."

"That's ok, we can run for congress." Jack said, making light of the situation-she laughed. "It's a win-win situation I guess."

"We should get as far from the charge as possible." She said, her voice trembling.

"I already am, care to join me?" Hodgins said, extending his hand for her to take. "Doctor Brennan, its been a privilege working with you." He didn't let go of her hand and shook it as a business transaction.

Brennan pulled him into a hug, "I know, Jack." She said. They pulled apart and each held a wire. Closing her eyes, they placed the wires together. Hodgins immediately pulled her back into his arms covering her body from impact, and the airbags exploded.

------

Booth drove as fast as he could to get to the quarry where the youngest squint said they were. Barely placing the vehicle into park, the agent jumped out of the car and ran to the edge-closely followed by the rest of the squints.

"Look for any tire tracks or depressions anything." He said, scanning the yellow dirt. The sand wasn't giving off any hint to where his partner or friend were hiding. The small canyon had to be over five hundred yards long making the task almost near impossible. He used his hands to block the sun, biting his lip.

A puff of sand coming from two hundred yard ahead caused enough of a disturbance for him to take off, running down the sandy slope to where he saw the now small hole. He dug furiously through the soft dirt sinking slowly as the ground began to give way, as he went deeper a wrist came from out of the sand. The small hand belonged to his partner as he began to pull her up gently.

The rest of the squint squad had fallen to their knees next to Booth, digging for the entomologist. Booth's attention was on the anthropologist as he freed her legs from the sand and laid her down away from the hole. "Get Hodgins." She said in a whisper, closing her eyes in the bright light.

He turned around to see Cam, Angela and Zack trying to pull out the man, Booth stepped deeper into the hole and his knees were under the sand, standing on something solid. He hooked Hodgins under his arms and pulled him up with the help of the three squints and placed him next to Brennan.

His attention returned to Brennan, who was laying in the sand, he sat leaning over her with moisture in his eyes. She reached up and wiped the trail that had escaped its dam. "You found us." She whispered, not moving her hand from his cheek.

Instead of responding he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. The kiss had been slow and tentative before his partner pulled his head closer to her to deepen the kiss, and she opened her mouth just enough for him to slip his in and their tongues began to explore each other.

It ended shorter than either had wanted leaving Brennan panting and flushed. He ran his hands through her hair, she turned her head to the man she was trapped with and her best friends whose smiles would have lit the entire city. "That was . . ." coughed Hodgins. "Hot."

Brennan bit back a laugh and extended her hand to him, he took it and gave it a squeeze as the paramedics ran over to them, fretting over the pair. Brennan dropped his hand and replaced it with Booth's, closing her eyes tightly as they placed the non-rebreather mask on her face-a flush of claustrophobia ran threw in a panic.

Booth squeezed her hand as the smallest of the paramedics came with forms in hand. "Sir, we need some information on her before we take her." She said in a high pitch voiced, as they loaded the woman onto the transport bed. He nodded and began to describe his partners medical history, with the occasional nods from the doctor.

They started to walk towards the ambulance and loaded her in and he climbed into the bus with her-not giving them a chance to tell him no. "She's ten weeks pregnant." He said at the end, the paramedics looked at each other and began to work faster.

Cam came to the ambulance to catch word about the good doctor. Booth smiled and held his thumbs up before tossing his keys to her and telling she assured them that she and the young squint would meet them at the hospital, before turning his attention to the drowsy doctor.

------------------------

Hours later Booth pulled up to Brennan's apartment and walked her to her door. With trembling fingers she took out her keys and attempted to place them into the door, but dropped them onto the floor.

Booth leaned down and picked up, shoving them into the door and opened her apartment. Taking her hand, she walked into the living room slowly. She felt a stranger in her own home, taking in the familiar surroundings and nothing had been moved, not even a speck of dust sat on the bookshelf.

Taking a slow breath, she moved closer to Booth who had moved deeper into the room. "Bones, why don't you take a shower and I will make you something to eat." He said softly, he placed his hand on her cheek.

She nodded and walked the familiar path to the hall closet, grabbing the fluffiest towel that she owned. Brennan walked into the bathroom-turning on the water, stripping her clothes and stepped into the warm water. Closing her eyes again-she pushed the memories of the car and focused on Booth, the man who was currently making dinner in the kitchen.

The water eventually ran cold and she stepped out of the shower, wrapping the towel tight around her small frame, she walked into her bedroom-seeing a pair of black track pants and a white tank top laying on her bed, Booth had set it out for her.

After dressing, she walked into the kitchen-Booth was making some grilled cheese sandwiches, and turned to give her a smile upon hearing entering the kitchen. "Feel better?" He asked softly.

"A little." Came her reply, he turned off the stove and pulled out a couple of plates and setting the it on a plate for her.

They sat on the bar stools, Brennan stared at the sandwich-not touching it. "Bones, you need to eat." He said, placing a hand on her leg. "The little one must be hungry."

She gave a small smile before picking up the cheesed fill bread, taking a bite and moaned softly. "These are amazing, Booth." She said and devoured the rest of the sandwich. Booth watched amused, before handing her the rest of his. She finished the second one, before falling quiet again.

He took her hands in his, turning her slightly to face him. "Do you want to talk about it?" He asked, their knees touching.

She bit her lip nervously, looking at their joined hands. Booth waited patiently for her to speak, wanting to take her into his arms and let nothing bad happen to her again. "I told Hodgins that I was pregnant today." She said in a small voice, not meeting his eyes.

"Are you ok with that?" He asked, wondering if she was upset because she told him and wasn't ready, or if it was a death bed confession.

She looked up to him, tears streaming down her face. "Yes. I felt better tell him, like a weight being lifted off my shoulders or something. I feel like I should tell everyone."

"That's great, Temperance." He said, looking guiltily at his hands. "I hope you don't get mad, but I told Angela." His eyes went back to hers.

She wrapped her arms around his frame, awkwardly separated by their knees. "I'm not mad." She said into his ears. Brennan sat back, stood up and pulled up her tank top, to show her stomach. "Can you tell?"

His fingers went to her normally toned stomach, to a barely noticeable belly-to anyone who didn't know she was pregnant, wouldn't have noticed. His hands went to her hips and pulled her between his legs and pressed his lips to her belly. "Barely."

Brennan's hands went to cup his face and pressed her lips to his, more intensely than their earlier one. He ran his fingers along her jawline and backwards through her hair, then his arms circled her shoulders, pulling her closer and standing. Her body reacted to his closeness, and her hands snaked around his neck-bringing her to her tip toes.

Booths fingers found their way under her shirt, that rested just under her breasts. Brennan ran her fingers up and down his spine, as his right hand found its way down to her waist. His lips left hers and found its way to her neck, and she threw her head back to allow him access.

They found their way into her bedroom crashing onto her king size without breaking contact. The land line phone rang in the distance, causing Booth to groan against her mouth. Brennan didn't say anything, only finding his lips again. "Answering machine will catch it." She said, removing the white tank top.

---

"_Tempe, this is Russ. I found something in my apartment today and it's really starting to freak me out. I'm on the way to Washington, maybe you and Booth can make heads or tails of it. Your probably at the lab still, but if you could give me a call when you get this message. I will probably get it late, so I will see you tomorrow." _The line went dead, and the flashing LED light waited to relay the message.


	6. Chapter 6

1**Title: Torn on the Edge **

**Disclaimer: I Own Nothing... this is Judas on the Pole, but not really... I think you'll enjoy. Thanks for all the reviews. Next chapter I plan on Parker being there...we'll see. ...enjoy.**

**Chapter Six: Seminary**

The early November sun began to rise to over the awaking city causing Brennan's eyes fluttered open. The feeling of content almost lulled her back to sleep, when the pressure coming from her bladder caused her to wake up more fully.

Carefully she extracted herself from the warmth and tip-toed to the bathroom, shutting the door quietly as to not wake the sleeping man. The absence of warmth caused him to open his eyes and sit up slowly and with a yawn, he reached down to put his boxers back on as she came out of the bathroom-wearing a white thin strapped top and long plaid bottoms. "I'm sorry; I didn't want to wake you." She said, laying down on the bed.

"It's alright." He said, laying back down- his head innocently next to her breast and his large hand on her belly.

"With this little one on my bladder, I have to go to the bathroom a lot." She said, her hand finding its way to his brown hair, marveling that it was longer than usual-time for him to get another hair cut, she mused. "The book I've been reading says that it shouldn't be so bad when I get into the second trimester."

Booth smiled lazily, rubbing circles on her stomach. "I'm sorry little one if your mommy and I kept you up last night." He mumbled to her stomach, with his charm smile in full force.

He looked up at her, expecting a lecture about him talking to her stomach, but was surprised that it didn't come. "I think it's a little too young for sex education." She said with a sly smile. Placing his lips onto her belly, he scooted himself up to place his lips on hers.

"It won't remember, and we will just have to give it again." He responded with a matching smile, he sat up. "I need to run home and grab a change of clothes; I will bring breakfast on my way back."

She nodded and closed her eyes again, almost instantly falling back asleep as Booth dressed in his clothes that were all over her clean floor. Before he left, he pressed his lips to her forehead, covering her with the comforter and leavning the apartment, with the feeling of content as he shut the door quietly.

--

Brennan's eyes fluttered back opened just twenty minutes later-cursing her internal clock and the years of waking up early. She got up and grabbed a pair of clean clothes before wandering back into her bathroom for a shower.

She went through her normal routine at a slower pace: Soap, shampoo, rinse, conditioner, rinse, water off, dry off. The doctor went to put on her jeans and came to realize that they didn't fit, she groaned as she tried to wrestle the button into its matching hole.

"Damn it." She said to herself, echoing from walls of the bathroom. She went back into her bedroom and began to search her closet for something to wear. Pulling out jeans after slacks after skirts, and came to the consensus that she wasn't wearing a skirt, which fit the best, on her day off, her slacks were too formal to lounge in and her jeans just didn't fit.

She sighed before a knock on the door startled her. Groaning, she placed a pair of yoga pants on and left her clothes piled on her bed, before running down the hallway. Opening the door, revealed her best friend and the man she had grown to respect like a brother. "Good morning, Sweetie."

"Hi." She said breathless, stepping aside allowing them into the apartment. Hodgin's fumbled with the crutches as he followed the artist into her apartment, before sitting on the couch. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel fine, except for the pain in my leg." He said with his same positive attitude. "But they gave me medication for that."

"How are you feeling, Sweetie?" Asked Angela, who sat on the couch with the entomologist.

"I'm fine." Brennan answered truthfully, standing with her hands on her hips. Angela raised her brow-the thoughts of the last couple of weeks had been hard on the anthropologist, especially with the new information that she had been given. "Really, Booth's been helping me through it all and I'm fine."

Angela perked up, her smile could light a small city. "Where is the hunky FBI agent?" Falling off the tangent faster than usual, noted Brennan with a smile.

"He had to run home to get some clothes and he was going to bring back breakfast." She answered, biting her lip. She wrapped her hands around her waist and grew self conscious.

Angela noticed her discomfort and motioned for her to sit next to her, and wrapped her arms around her in a friendly embrace. "Booth told me that you were pregnant." Angela said.

"I am." Came her simple reply. "I'm guessing you want to know the story." There was a silence, that teetered on being awkward as Angela waited for her to speak.

"You don't have to tell me today." Came her response, Hodgins watched-he too was curious about the situation, even though he knew more than Angela.

Brennan stood to her feet and crossed her arms in front of her, and began to pace slowly. "No, I need to tell you now." She argued, "When I was in New Orleans, I woke up on the floor, bloody and not remembering what happened to me, Booth came down and met me in the doctors office. The doctor was distracted by the detective and I never got the rape kit, six weeks later I found out I was pregnant, and now here we are." She shrugged, tears fell involuntarily from her eyes.

Angela got to her feet and wrapped her arms around the woman, both with tears in their eyes. "Everything is going to be alright, Bren."

Brennan pulled back and wiped her eyes, with a smile. "I know, Hodgins actually helped me realize that." Brennan smiled at his direction, before giving hugging him.

"Glad to be of some service, Doctor B." He said, with a smile on his face. He had always been completely aw struck by the woman since meeting her, in retrospect being buried in the car with her and shown him the vulnerable side that only her partner had seen and other than Angela, he was even more aw struck by her.

The door opened and all three pairs of eyes fell onto her partner, who walked in the door carrying a brown bag and a single cup of coffee. "Hey." He said, shutting the door with his foot-he set the bag on the table, before taking his place next to Brennan.

She smiled before snaking her hand in his. Angela smile, but chose to remain silent. "It's almost ten, Sweetie, and your not dressed." She pointed with a watery smile.

"None of my jeans fit anymore." She said, coyly as Booth placed an arm around her shoulders.

All three chuckled and Angela took Brennan's hands in hers. "Then we need to go shopping, can you imagine all the cute maternity clothes we can find, thank god it's not the fifties-because mu-mu's are so out of style-but you would still look amazing in one." Said the artist, shaking with excitement. "Can you believe it? Your pregnant."

She hugged Brennan again, before another knock on the door caught their attention. Booth untangled himself from his partner and the artist, clasping the entomologist on the back and went to the door. He pulled open the door to be greeted by the last man on the planet. "Russ?"

"Agent Booth?" The man said, thrown off by the man in the door way. Booth stepped aside to let the man in, who took in the people in the room before walking into the table to grab the breakfast. "Tempe?"

"Russ, what are you doing here?" She asked, pulling free of the artist.

"I've tried calling your cell and your home phone. I went to the Jeffersonian and I was told that you've been given the week off." Russ said, worry in his voice. "What's going on?"

Angela took it as their cue to leave. "Come on Jack, you need to rest." He nodded and slowly got to his feet. "Call me and we'll go shopping."

Brennan nodded as a sinking feeling plagued her, she waved to Angela and said nothing. "I'm sorry, Russ. I haven't checked my messages yet." She said after her moment of silence. Russ sat down on the couch and Booth handed her a blueberry muffin, before sitting next to her on the love seat.

"Tempe take a day off? I thought that was unheard of." Russ said with a smile.

"I wasn't given a choice." She said, pulling a piece of the muffin and placing it into her mouth.

"Can we just say that she's had a rough couple of days." Said Booth, Brennan tucked her feet under herself, causing Booth to flinch at her cold toes. Russ looked them over, eyeing their behavior suspiciously.

"We'll I hope this doesn't add to your plate." He pulled out some photos from his pockets, handing it to the pair. "Dad called me."

"Dad called you? Are you sure it was him?" Asked the woman, Booth took her hand in his-in fear that it was upset her.

"He said 'You and your sister are in danger,' then he hung up." Said Russ with a shrug.

"Russ, I spend a lot of time with a sniper-trained FBI agent, I know I'm safe." She said with pride, sharing a look with Booth-who almost blushed with her praise.

"Tempe, I know someone is watching me." He said, sitting on the edge of the couch.

Brennan raised her eye brow, looking at him as if he grew an extra head. "What's your evidence." She asked with a slight chuckle.

He pointed to the photo's in Booths hands. "These were in mail box." The photos were candid pictures of Russ in his daily life: walking on the street, working on a truck and eating with a woman. "This one was taken two days ago. I know someone is watching me."

"Oh, this isn't watching." Said Booth, both siblings looked at him. "This is hunting."

"Hunting?" Asked Russ, alarmed.

"As in hunting to kill." Responded Booth, feeling the woman next to him tense up. "These are ranges, this bastard is looking for a place to shoot at you." He squeezed her hand in assurance.

"What do I do now?" Again asked Russ, looking lost.

"You stay here, with me, until we get this cleared up." Said Brennan, in a rush. Booth's cell phone began to ring from the table, causing the doctor to jump.

He got up to answer it, leaving the brother and sister on the couches. Russ eyed her suspiciously, with a small smile on his face-the man made his sister happy and that was good enough for him. "So you and him, huh?" He asked with a smile.

She blushed. "Kind of." Came her response, she wasn't sure of their status anymore. Since New Orleans, Booth was harder to get rid of than the plague, and now that they had spent the night together-the line was fuzzy, not that it was doubted.

"That's a big kind of, Tempe." He teased, she turned to look at Booth, his features showing off frustration. She couldn't read anyone else on the planet, but she could read him-knowing that he wasn't liking what his boss had just asked.

"Alright, sir. I know, the junior squint should be able to handle it. She can referee from the side line, she won't step a foot in the lab. Yes sir." He hung up the phone, and looked to her. He returned to her side and placed a hand on her knee. "I need to run into work, seems to be a small problem."

She perked up a little. "Am I needed?" She asked.

"Seems Doctor Saroyan and Cullen have had a meeting about what happened yesterday, I'm under orders to not let you out of this apartment until next week." He said with a smile, she was about to protest. "You are allowed to be on the sidelines, think of it as a test run for Zack. I will bring over every piece of information that I can."

She folded her arms and stuck out her lower lip. "Fine." She pouted, a very un-Brennan like thing, he smiled and pressed his lips to hers to smooth out her pouted lips.

"You'll be fine, your brother can keep you company." He said in a low whisper, her bright eyes connecting with his. "Make sure you eat lunch, Temperance." She nodded before he left the apartment.

Her eyes found her brothers matching eyes. "Kind of, I think not Tempe. You are wrapped around his finger." Said Russ, with his teasing eyes.

She blushed and tucked her feet under herself, and chose evasion as a safer way to change the subject. "What have you been up to lately?" She asked.

"That was dodge if I ever heard one." He mumbled, and she looked at him curiously. "Never mind. I've been living with this amazing woman named Amy, she has two daughters named Hayley and Emma." He reached into his back pocket and pulled out two pictures of young blonde girls.

"They're cute." Answered Brennan, taking them in her hands.

"If I play my cards right, they'll be your nieces in a few months." He said with fatherly pride, he frowned. "Emma has lung trouble, they are trying to figure it out. Ever have to deal with a HMO?"

"If it's money, I can help." Brennan offered, with a smile.

"No. If I'm going to be these little girls daddy, then I need to man up for the job." He answered. She stood up and walked into the kitchen.

"It's not rational." Came her response from the kitchen, she opened the freezer to pull out the pint size Ben and Jerry's Oreo ice cream and shut the door.

"I'm a good mechanic, I'll take care of my own." He retorted softly, turning to eye her grabbing a spoon and walking back to the couch. "Tempe, you do realize that its just after ten."

"So? Ice cream sounded like a good idea." She said with a smile, taking a bite off the spoon. "And it was."

Russ chucked slightly as he leaned back on the couch, "What happened yesterday?" He asked after a long silence.

Brennan bit her lip nervously, as she hadn't come to terms with being buried alive in a car. She swallowed forcefully and her breathing sped up. Taking a deep breath she began to tell the story of her abduction.

-

Booth walked into the apartment just after seven to a quiet apartment. Closing the door quietly, he caught sight of the woman asleep on the couch. All the tension from the day, drained immediately as he took the steps to her side, her expression was soft and her mouth hung open slightly, begging him to press his lips to it. He complied and softly pressed his lips to hers, before covering her with the throw that rested on the floor.

The creak on the wooden floor caught his attention, her brother stepped out from the bathroom-freshly showered, dressed in jeans and a normal t-shirt. "Hi Booth."

Booth looked between the siblings. "Do you want to go grab some dinner?"

"Sure." He said, both exiting the apartment and leaving the woman asleep on the couch.

-

Both men took their seats at a table near the largest window at the Royal Diner. After giving their orders, they sat in an awkward silence trying to gather something to converse about.

"Thank you for saving my sister." Russ said after awhile.

Booth nodded, still trying to find words to say. During his day of hell, he had received a call from someone concerning the man sitting in front of him. "You know, you're a real idiot. I like you, I like you a lot, but you're an idiot." He said.

Russ raised a brow. "What did I do?"

"I got a call from your parole officer today." Said Booth, as the waitress sat down their food on the table.

"Why?" Asked Russ, taking a couple of french fries and tossed them in his mouth.

"You crossed state lines without informing him." Said Booth, taking a bite of his sandwich. "I told him that you were helping an FBI investigation."

"Thanks." Russ said again, relief swept through him.

"Your slipping, aren't you?" Booth asked idly, sipping at his soda.

"Look, I want to marry my girlfriend and raise her kids. One of them is sick and that costs a lot of money. I'm a felon on parole, I work part-time as a mechanic." Russ said, his voice rasing over the crowded diner. "You tell me what job can I get that will let me be the man I have to be to raise a family."

"Look, I know that you have a girl depending on you and but you in any more trouble isn't going to help anybody." Said Booth, as the window next to them shattered at the penetration of a small metal bullet. It grazed the side of one of the mans neck, as the other one stood guard with his gun in his hands. "Everyone get down."

---

The pair walked back into the apartment, rounding eleven, to a pacing Temperance Brennan. "Thank god." She whispered, Booth almost missed it. She took the few steps to Booth and wrapped her arms around his waist. She had called him earlier, upon noticing her missing brother.

"It's alright." Booth said, his large hand on her back.

She jumped to Russ, hugging him tightly. "I'm alright, Tempe. Only grazed by the bullet." He said with a smile, as if it was the coolest thing. "Booth thinks this has something to do with dad."

Her blue eyes searched his dark brown ones, exhaustion dominant in his eyes. "Your father has something to do with the body that was found on top of that hotel and I think he pissed some people off, the ones who were trying to kill Russ in the first place. I haven't put the pieces together, or what he has to do with this case." He said, exhausted.

She pondered it and chose to drop it. "Good thing you were together. Why exactly were you together?" She asked, scanning her brother for additional wounds.

"Man's gotta eat." Answered Booth, turning to leave.

"Where are you going?" She asked, taking a hold of his wrist.

"I was going to go home and crash."He said, as Russ took his leave to the guest room, walking away awkwardly. She raised her eyebrows, the word crashing not catching on. "I'm going to go to bed, Bones."

"Booth, you are exhausted-just stay here for the night." She said softly, placing a hand on his cheek.

"I don't want to impose on your. . ."He started, worried what picture it painted for her brother-not that he cared.

"He's already figured out that you and I are more than partners, whatever the hell we are, and beside who cares what he thinks?" She asked, first time being bitter about her brother since they reconnected. She stepped into his personal space and placed her hands on his waist. "I want you to stay with me tonight."

He pressed his lips to hers softly as she lead him back to her bedroom.

--

Russ shut the door from the guest room with a quiet click of the latch. Looking to his watch, the short hand was on the five where as its buddy neared the twelve. With a sigh he walked down the hall to his sisters bedroom, intent on waking telling her of the phone call he had just received.

The door creaked in protest as the light from the hallway lit up the room, though not enough to wake the sleeping occupants. The said occupants brought a smile to his face, his sister laid on her back a soft smile on her face, whereas her partner laid on his side with his face buried into her auburn hair and his hand resting innocently under her top, on her stomach.

He smiled and chose not to wake the sleeping pair and shut the door.

--

The alarm clock began to buzz just after six thirty, waking them slowly. Keeping her eyes closed, she smiled as she felt Booth kissed her. Her eyes fluttered opened, and her smile widened.

"Hey." He said softly.

"Hey." She responded, wiping the sleep from her eyes. She sat up slowly, stretching her muscles.

"You don't have to get up now, Bones. Remember you have the week off." He said softly, not sitting up.

"I have to get ready, Zack is defending his dissertation and I need to be there for support, he is my grad student after all and with all the work he had put into it, its only fair that I be there for him." She said with a distinct pride with the man she turned into a doctor.

He smiled at her as she got up to get in the shower. She went into the bathroom adjacent to her bedroom and after a few moments she stood in the doorway with a towel wrapped around her form. Booth watched with her his mouth opened slightly, the small baby bump caused him to smile. "Well, are you coming?" She asked, with a raised brow.

--

Brennan sat patiently along the row of the most respected people in forensic anthropology. She watched nervously as the young man stood his ground, and smiled as the hours of Hodgins drilling him and Angela's make over made him look more confident than she knew that he felt.

The ancient man to Brennan's left began to speak. "Mr. Addy, your dissertation is titled 'Analysis of Bone Trauma." He said.

"When viewed in cross section, the pressure force exerted by the weapon can be assessed." He answered, his knuckles were white against the mahogany chair.

"Obtaining the cross-section, will compromise the original bone." Said the woman on the far end of the table, sounding surprised.

"My technique preserves bone morphology, through the use of polyvinyl replication." He started to explain slowly. Brennan nodded in approval and he smiled before continuing. He went into detail and she forced herself to pay attention to his dissertation, but her mind was wandering to the man at the J. Edgar Hoover building.

". . .Do you have anything to add, Doctor Brennan?" Asked the woman on the far end.

She jumped, startled. "No." She said, with a smile-her assistant had done excellent.

"Congratulations, Doctor Addy." Said the woman, standing to her feet to shake the young man's hand-Zack had a huge smile on his face. She turned back to Brennan and extending her hand to the young woman. "Excellent work, Temperance."

"Thank you, Constance." Came her response, walking over to the young man.

Brennan and Zack walked out of the hall to outsides where the quiet park, before Brennan placed a hand on his wrist. He stopped only to be wrapped in the arms of his ex-advisor. "Congratulations, Doctor Addy." She said, fighting to keep the tears at bay. "I'm so proud of you."

"Thank you Doctor Brennan." He said, a big smile on his face, as the feeling of pride shot through him, the world renown forensic anthropologist was congratualing him.

Her cell phone began to ring from her bag, and she reached to answer it-ending her embrace with the young man she grew to admire. "Brennan."

"Tempe, I need you to come to the St. Augustine's Seminary." It was her brother, who immediately hung up the phone.

She looked at the phone in alarm and her blue eyes met his dark brown ones. She had the look of fear on her eyes, alarming the young doctor. "I've got to run, tell Booth that I'm going to St. Augustine's Seminary, if you see him before I do." She turned on her heels and ran towards the parking lot.

--

Brennan turned the car off and was greeted by the site an old vine covered building. She stepped out and looked for a familiar face among the religiously dressed people. She took a couple of steps before her name was called from behind.

"Temperance?" Said the man, dressed like a priest.

"Can I help you?" She asked, not recognizing the man behind her.

"My name is Father Toby Coulter, I'm a friend of your fathers." Said the man, walking closer to her. He took in her features as a he had met her before. "I have a message for you, from your father."

"My father? He's been in contact with you?" She asked with a raised brow. He motioned for her to take a walk with him and they walked down a tree lined path.

"Yes, he told me to tell you to back off, that's the message. He said you would understand." Responded the father, the changing leaves were breathtaking almost trying to distract the anthropologist. "And that your brother is with him."

She bit her lip, trying to remember the last time she saw her brother and realized it was last night, before she went the bed. "Are you certain?" She asked, trying to grasp.

"Saw them myself, he gave me the message before they left. Don't worry their in a better place." Said the father, starting to walk slower, basking in the time with the woman. She didn't know what to say and remained silent.

The crunching of the leaves made the only sound for a long moment, before a small wooden bench offered its services under a large elm tree. "You are so much like him, your father."

"I'm nothing like my father." She snapped before she could control it.

"Black and white, the two of you." He said, with a smile. "Saw the world in black and white. Your mother wasn't like that, either was Russell."

--

Booth walked up the steps of the platform, greeted by the squint squad-minus one. They stood around Zack with smiles on their faces and noticed the FBI agent. "Zack? When did you finish going through your test, thing?" Thinking that the anthropologist had just dropped him off, on her way home.

"About an hour ago, Doctor Brennan asked me to tell you that she got a call and went to St. Augustine's Seminary, if she didn't find you first." He said with a raised brow. "She ran back to her car, so I figured it was something to do with her brother being in town."

"Damn it." He cursed before turning on his heels and running out of the Jeffersonian. He figured that it had something to do with her father and that he needed to be there.

---

"Your father always told me about the time when you were four and your brother was nine, and he hid behind a door and jumped out at you, shouting boo. You had this doll, with the string in the back that talked. . ."

She smiled at the memory. "Chatty Cathy." She filled in, looking off in the distance. She placed her hand protectively on her belly, imagining the movement to the tiny one inside.

"Wham! You hit your brother so hard he fell flat as a pancake. I told your mother, 'no one, no one will ever jump out at that girl again.' and your mother said, 'she's just like you Max." He said with his fatherly smile she began to remember.

She jumped to her feet and turned to the man. "Hair color, plastic surgery, chin and cheek implants and fifteen years older. I should've seen it." She said, the hurt in her voice.

"Russ thought it was better if you didn't know it was me." He said solemnly, looking at his hands.

"You talk to Russ, but not to me?" She asked, the pressure from the tears welling in her eyes.

"You know, to tell you the truth, you do better without me-Russ does worse." He said, getting to his feet.

"You don't know anything about me, Max." She cried, wiping the moisture that fell from her eyes. "You abandoned me, I was fifteen years old."

"Temperance, not a day goes by that my heartbreaks when I see you, when I think about you." He said as Russ pulled up in a large dark Bronco, catching them off guard.

"Dad, lets go." Said the man, looking as if someone is after him.

"I've got to go." Max responded, turning to walk to the truck.

"Wait, I can't let you go." She said, pulling him into a hug, trying to delay him long enough to come up with a plan. When she remembered the handcuffs that sat in her jacket pocket-Booth had left them at her apartment, she was going to return them.

"Oh, I love you too." He responded, wrapping his arms around her small frame.

"No, I really can't let you go." She kicked him in the shin, bringing him onto his knees. The sound of Russ getting out of the Bronco, making eye contact with Max-who told him to hang off. "I'm sorry."

"I must be getting old, letting you get the drop on me." He said, a grunt of pain.

"I'm so sorry, I can't let you get away." She cried, trying to place the handcuffs on the older mans large wrist, only to have him reverse himself-handcuffing her to the bench.

"Listen to me, if you can find someone that you trust-hold on to him. Remember that, honey." He said, not making eye contact with his daughter.

"Dad, lets go." The sound of a large vehicle roared in the distance, coming closer to the family.

"I'm so proud of you, I love you." Said Max, leaning in and kissing her on the head. Booth's familiar SUV drove up and jumped out, leaving the car running. Booth stood by the driver side door, survey the scene and sending a silent prayer that nothing had happened to her. Max's gaze went from his daughter to the man pulling out the gun. "You take care of her." He said, running up to the Bronco.

"Stop or I'll shoot." Booth said, pointing the gun at the direction of the con.

"Booth!" Cried Brennan, standing awkwardly next to the bench, he didn't look at her and focused on the man getting into the car. "Booth." He turned to look at her, lowering the gun and trotting next to her-giving Max and Russ a chance to get away, which they greedily took.

"Are you alright, Bones?" He asked, his hands going to her back and her belly, respectively. They sat down awkwardly on the bench and she laid her head on his shoulder, beginning to cry. He held her tightly as the tears soaked through her shirt.

Sitting there for what felt like an eternity, she stopped crying and hiccuped softly. "Thanks Booth, for not shooting my father."

His cell phone began to ring before he could answer properly. "Booth." He answered after four rings.

"It's Angela, is everything ok?" She asked on the end of the phone line.

"It will be." He responded, as Brennan's head went back to his chest and his hand ran through her hair.

"Well if you two are up to it, we are celebrating Zack's doctorate at the diner." Offered Angela softly, Booth could practically hear her smile on the other end.

"Alright Angela, Bones needs something to eat-maybe we'll stop by." He said, pressing his lips to her hair as he said his goodbyes with the artist. "Do you want to go, Bones. Zack will understand if your not up to it."

"No its ok, Booth."

--

Walking along the crowded sidewalk made Brennan uncomfortable and she stepped closer to her partner. The feeling that all eyes were on her was almost overwhelming, causing her to stop just outside the Royal Diner.

"Are you alright?" Booth asked again, stopping next to her.

"I'll be fine." She said. Her head hurt from the crying, her stomach growled in acknowledgment and the nausea was hitting her like the ocean on a pier.

"Morning sickness?" Asked Booth.

"No, it finally went away. I think it's because I'm hungry and upset." She answered, checking her reflection at the window.

"Oh, Temperance. I'm sorry you had to go through it again, being left behind." He said softly.

"My father is. . ."Said Brennan, the tears welling up again.

"He's your dad, and he loves you." Booth responded, stepping closer to her.

"You know what, I'm just one of those people who don't get to be in a family." She cried, he pulled her into his arms, begging for her to understand.

He pulled back a little, grasping her chin to lift her eyes to his. "Listen Bones, there is more than one kind of family. You have Zack, Angela, Hodgins and even Cam." He said, a small smile forming on her lips. "You have me, and you have this little one. We are your family." To seal the deal, he pressed his lips to hers in a slow, yet passionate kiss, and was short lived by the knock on the window-coming from her former assistant. They broke apart, keeping their arms around each other-he waved them inside. "Well hell, Zack got the job, right?"

"Come on, lets go congratulate him." Said Brennan, she had her small smile plastered to her face. "And I'm hungry."

He rolled his eyes playfully, gaining a swift punch in the arm. "Alright, fine. But I'm sitting on a different table, he is still your squints, not my squints." He was planning on keeping the status quo between himself and the young squint.

"We are all of us your squints, Booth. Do me a favor and pat Zack on the shoulder with an open hand." She said, as her hand slipped into his.

"What? Does that mean something?" He asked as he held the door open, she laughed as they walked inside the diner.


	7. Chapter 7

1**Title: Torn on the Edge**

**Rating: T**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing . . . I apologize that I didn't update in awhile...life has been hectic. Merry Christmas..**

**Spoilers: None.**

**Chapter Six**

Brennan was bent over the steel table, squinting intently over the recovered World War II victim that laid innocently on its back. The lab was almost empty with the exception of the forensic anthropologist and the maintenance staff, who were assigned to get all major projects done while the rest of the staff was off on the Thanksgiving holiday.

She squinted, taking the skull into her hand. The large crack on the sagittal crest seemed to be the indicator of the cause of death and the make shift shunt in the occipital part of the skull made it a simple identification. She smiled as she took the pen from her hair and began to fill in the report, next to the man.

Just as she began to fill in her findings, the tiny patter off feet hitting the floor caused her to look up as a blond mass ran up the stairs to her side. "Doctor Brennan, do you remember me?" Asked the boy, his eyes were dark brown-genetically his father's.

Her smile grew wider as he climbed into her lap. "Of course Parker, how can I forget my favorite little boy." His smile grew wider, wrapping his arms around her neck.

"Did you hear that daddy? Doctor Brennan said I was her favorite." He said excitedly, muffled by his face pressed into her neck. She looked up to see Booth walking up the platform with a smile on his face.

"I sure did buddy." Said Booth, taking the steps of the platform slowly, he smiled as the boy began to talk excitedly to his partner.

"Daddy says you're the smartest person in the whole world, that's why you're working on Thanksgiving." Said the boy, bringing a blush to her cheeks.

"I don't know about being the smartest. . ."She started to say modestly.

"He said that you could show me an australio-pithe-cine and that her name is Lucy." He said slowly, with practiced ease before getting excited. "I don't know what that is, but he said that you have a Tyrannosaurus Rex here too."

Brennan looked to her partner with a raised brow, "Is this a hint?" She said with a coy smile.

"He's really curious." Booth answered with a shrug, before pressing his lips to her forehead, gaining a 'eww, daddy' from the boy in his arms. She looked up brightly and turned to place to bones back into the storage box.

"I guess I can spare a Thursday afternoon." Came her reply, pulling off her lab coat and draping it over the chair. Booth gave her the once over, taking in the empire-waist white top and black slacks. The shirt framed her body in a way that her stomach was barely visible, a subtle approach at keeping the secret.

Parker cheered happily as Booth placed him on the ground and only to take the woman's hand in his much smaller one, expecting her to lead him to the dinosaurs. Booth took her other one and descended the platform before whispering in her ear. "Thank you."

The redness returned to her cheeks as she smiled. "So Parker, how do you know Australopithecine is?" She asked, as they left the medico-legal lab.

"Daddy said that it's a girl whose really, really old. Older than Grandma Booth." The boy said with candid honesty. "Dad said grandma went to school with Jesus, and that was a long time ago." Brennan bit her tongue to keep from laughing at Booth, who glared playfully at his son. Surprising herself that she didn't feel the urge to correct the boy.

"Don't let grandma hear you say that, she'd spank you." Booth said, fighting a chuckle. He picked up the boy and threw him over his shoulder, gaining a squeal from the boy.

"Doctor Brennan, save me." The boy cried through the laughter. She pulled him into her arms and he wrapped his arms around her neck as they walked out of the medico-legal lab to the museum.

X

Starting on the bottom floor the trio walked to the large glass structure containing the remains of Lucy. She stood looking at the tiny remains in awe, and no matter how many times she had seen it, it still made her speechless.

"Parker, this is Lucy." She said, he placed his hands on the ledge, looking at the small amount of bone that remained of the Australopithecine.

The small boy didn't know what to think of the remains. He turned to look at her, his dark eyes meeting her blue eyes. "That's it? Where is the rest of her?" Parker asked, Brennan chuckled as she lead him to the model creature that looked more ape like than human.

"This is what they think she looked like when she was alive a really, really long time ago." Explained Brennan, Parker looked wide eyed, before turning to his dad. His attention span was diminishing faster than the speed of light.

"Can we see the dinosaurs now?" Asked the boy after a long silence. Booth chuckled as the boy ran ahead towards a sign with a picture of a dinosaur on it.

The adults fell behind, Booth taking Brennan's hand in his as they watched the boy scurry through the massive dinosaurs, both enjoying the emptiness of the museum. "Thanks Bones, for giving him this." He whispered, stopping and turning to face her. She only smiled and snaked her arms around his waist and lay her forehead on his chest.

She took an intake of breath as Parker fell on to his knee, only to bounce back up and continue to stare at the exhibits. "He's not even bothered?" Remembering random children she had seen fall and start to cry.

"No, the boy is made of rubber." Booth said as Parker dug excitedly in the sandbox, looking for lost artifacts. She raised a brow and was about to ask about the comment when he spoke before her. "It's a saying, meaning that it usually doesn't bother him unless there is any blood."

She nodded as they stood next to the sandbox, Brennan absently picking up a small brush and began to dust away the sand around a small plaster casing of a femur. Booth stood with his arms crossed watching the scene with a smile, Brennan talked softly to his son, showing him the proper way to recover remains. She took his small hand and brushed small layers from the sand explaining her knowledge of the subject.

Booth took his chance to leave her with his son for some bonding time, mentioning that he was headed to the men's room. "Good job, Parker." She said softly as he unburied a skull belonging to a random dinosaur. "Are you having fun?"

"So much fun." Said Parker with a smile, his dark eyes looking up to meet her. "Are you coming to Thanksgiving with us?"

"I don't know, Parker. It's your time with you dad, I don't want to take that away from you." She responded with a smile.

"Daddy wants you to come and so do I." He said, setting his brush down. "Daddy said that you need to eat more because you are too skinny, and you can eat a whole bunch for Thanksgiving."

"Really?" She asked with a raised brow, she stood up and went to sit on a bench. Parker climbed up into her lap.

"Yes," His voice went into a stage whisper. "He bought Oreo ice-cream for you and I have a picture that I drew at school for you." He was excited, Booth was using the boy to get her to join in the holiday.

She laughed and she ruffled the blond hair. "I've got a surprise for you too." She said with a smile. His eyes lit up and jumped to his feet.

"What kind of surprise?" He asked impatiently, a trait he inherited from his father. Her hands sat on her knees and looked at him nervously.

"What do you think about being a big brother?" She asked, biting her lip. Mentally telling herself that this was a child, not some person in an interrogation room. Yet her body still reacted-sweaty palms, increased heart rate and the new nervous trait: nausea.

Instead of responding, Brennan's back met the back of the bench and Parker's small arms wrapped around her neck. "I've wanted a baby sister since forever! I've asked for one for my birthday AND Christmas. Where is she?"

Tears formed out the corners of her eyes as she buried her face into his neck. "I don't know if it's going to be a girl yet, Parker." Brennan spoke softly, falling quiet-trying to explain reproduction to a five year old was almost as bad as rocket science. "The baby is in my tummy, it's not quite ready to come out yet."

He pulled out of her arms slightly. "The baby is in your tummy?" He asked, looking at the woman as if she had grown another head. He placed a hand on her mid section trying to feel his new sibling. "When will she be coming out to play?"

"Not for a couple more months, the baby still has a lot of growing to grow before it can come out." She explained as Booth walked over to the pair, watching the entire scene.

"Daddy!" Parker jumped excitedly. "I'm going to have a baby sister."

Booth picked up the boy as Brennan got to her feet, with a slight yawn. "Don't give your hopes up bud, you might get a baby brother." He said, with a warm smile-proud of the forensic anthropologist.

"I just know it's going to be a sister." He explained with his version of the charm smile. The adults shrugged as they walked out of the museum hand in hand.

X

The FBI agent opened the door to his apartment, the sleeping boy 's head rested on his shoulder, drooling slightly. He motioned for Brennan to follow him into the apartment and left her in the sitting room as he placed the boy into his bedroom.

Coming back to the sitting room, Brennan sat on the couch fighting to keep her eyes open. Booth sat next to her, pulling her shoes off her feet. "Lay down for awhile, I'm going to start dinner." He said softly, she nodded and laid her head on the small pillow, instantly falling asleep. He chuckled softly as he covered her with the throw that rested on the back and pulled her hair out of the pony tail holder.

Quietly he wandered into the kitchen and pulled out the ingredients for the perfect Thanksgiving, when a slight tap on the door drew his attention. He looked at the clock on the wall, the squints were early. Crossing the apartment he opened the door, to see that the squints weren't early, but his mother stood on the other side.

"Seeley." She said excitedly, two grocery bags sat on the floor next to her feet.

"Mom? What are you doing here?" He asked, as she pulled him into her arms. His mother was short and lean, with greying hair that complimented her dark brown eyes.

"Well with you and Jared not being able to make it home for Thanksgiving, your father and I decided that we were going to you boys for the holiday. Besides, I haven't seen your son in quite awhile." She said, her accent supporting a thick pride from her sons. "Well are you going to invite me in, or are we going to celebrate in the hallway?"

Booth chuckled slightly and picked up the bags from the floor. The mother looked around the room for her grandson. "Parker's taking a nap." He responded simply, placing the bags on the counter and began to sort through them.

"Oh, why is it so quiet in here. Isn't there some football game on or something?" Asked Booth's mother, taking off her jacket and placing it on the hook. "Surely the Steelers are playing someone."

He chuckled softly, and pointed to the couch. Mrs. Booth looked over the side and gasped. "That's Doctor Temperance Brennan, my partner." The said partner was laying on her back with one hand protectively on her abdomen and the other resting by her head, he walked over and placed the throw back on her small frame and pressed his lips to her forehead.

"Partner, my eye." She mumbled under her breath. "Go sit down, I'll take care of it."

Brennan's eyes fluttered open and she smiled. "Hey." He whispered, brushing the hair from her forehead. "Go back to sleep, I'll wake you when we're ready." A crash from the kitchen drew their attention.

She sat up and looked over the back of the couch, where Booth's mother stood up and blushed. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." She almost squeaked for being caught watching her son and the woman interact, she had dropped the pan that she was carrying.

Brennan blushed as Booth sat down on the ledge of the couch, holding her hand. "Bones, I would like you to meet my mom, Sharon Booth." Sharon walked around the couch and extended her hand over the sofa.

"You are the Bones I've heard so much about." She said with a charm smile her son had inherited. Brennan blushed and returned the gesture, she didn't know what to say.

"All good I hope." She said with an embarrassed smile.

"Believe it or not, Bones, I think very highly of you." Booth said, his charm smile in full effect, she yawned again and got to her feet. "No Bones, lay back down."

"I need to use the restroom, Booth." She responded with a smile, Booth shifted to allow her to pass, mumbling something about alpha males.

"What do you think, mom?" He asked as the door shut, putting his feet on the couch with his hands interlaced behind his head.

"She's a pretty little thing." Came her comment. "She seems quiet though."

"Bones is. . ." He considered his words carefully. "She is timid when it comes to family, she hasn't had the best experience with it. I'm trying to show her that there is more than one kind of family." The door opened and she walked to the couch, and he pulled her to lay with him on the couch. She laid her head on his chest, surprising him the amount of affection she was showing and immediately fell asleep again.

Soon he too fell asleep as Sharon stopped cooking long enough to pull the throw over both adults on the couch and with a smile continued her work.

X

Parker sauntered out of his bedroom as the smell of Thanksgiving, wiping the sleep out of his eyes. He saw the grey haired woman washing dishes and he picked up his gait to wrap his arms around her. "Grandma!" He cheered as she picked him up.

"Hi Parker." She said in a whisper. "We got to be quiet, your dad and Doctor Brennan are asleep." The boy nodded as the knock on the door caught his attention.

Sharon wiped her flour covered hands onto her apron and wandered to the door, with the five year old following like a puppy. On the other side of the door stood Angela, Zack and Hodgins each holding random bowls full of different food. "Hello?"

"Hi Mrs. Booth, we work with Seeley." Said Angela with her bright smile and went through introductions as they walked into the apartment. "You've probably heard us call the squints."

Sharon nodded with a small laugh. "Please call me Sharon, lets get everything ready to eat." She turned to the boy who was hiding behind her. "Parker, do you want to set the table?" He nodded with an enthusiastic smile, Angela offered to assist him in the task.

"Where's Booth and Doctor Brennan?" Asked Hodgins, setting the turkey on the counter. Sharon pointed to the couch where both adults were still asleep.

"Don't give me that 'they are partners' speech. He's a love sick puppy." Commented Sharon, gathering a smile from Angela, who handed over the table setting task to Zack. "We should probably wake them up, dinner is ready."

This task Angela assigned herself as she walked around the couch and gently tapped Brennan on the shoulder, but getting the opposite effect. Booth's eyes fluttered open as he yawned the sleep from his body. "Hey Seeley." Said Angela with her bright smile again. "Did you sleep well?"

"Of course." He said, his smile was a match for hers. His attention turned to the woman laying on top of him. "Bones." He whispered, she smiled but kept her eyes closed and buried her face into the fabric of his shirt. "Your faking, come on dinner is ready."

She opened her eyes and sat up, still on Booth's lap. Taking in her surroundings, she tensed up and bit her lip nervously. She got to her feet and quietly walked back into the bathroom. Angela looked to Booth. "Maybe she needs to freshen up."

Once inside the bathroom, she placed her hands on the vanity, taking deep breaths, coming to the conclusion that she wasn't going to panic.. She sighed taking a look at herself in the mirror, as her hair fell onto her shoulders. The white shirt was lightly rumple, working out the wrinkles she squared her shoulders and placed a smile on her lips before walking out of the bathroom, only to be met by Booth awaiting in the hall. "Are you alright?" He asked softly.

She nodded. "I'm fine." She said, his hand went to her waist and tried to figure if she was lying. "The baby is sitting on my bladder, I have to use the restroom a lot." It wasn't completely a lie.

"It's alright if your not, I mean it could be overwhelming." He said softly, his other hand finding its way to her cheek.

Putting on a stronger brave face she smiled. "I'll be fine, Booth." She pressed her lips to his. "I'm hungry."

"Well Bones, lets go eat." He responded.

X

With all the turkey, stuffing, rolls, potatoes and pumpkin pie eaten, the adults sat on the couch with mugs of coffee in their hands, save for Brennan who sipped water from a bottle. Zack had taken refuge with Parker in the boy's room, playing with the abnormally large collection of Lego's, the clinking of the small blocks could be heard through the apartment.

". . . that was when Brennan said, 'So let's pretend he's a pirate.' It was Christmas in July." Angela said with a laugh, they had spent the entire dinner talking about the cases that Booth shared with the Jeffersonian.

"I could imagine, Seeley always wanted to be a pirate when he was growing up." Sharon said with a laugh, Booth's cheeks held a slight rose color. "He would be running around the yard with a plank of wood that his father turned into a little wooden sword and fight off other pirates for claim of the sea. Do you remember little Jimmy Regan?" Booth groaned and Brennan stifled a laugh, gaining a glare from the man to her left. "Well they decided to try and be Peter Pan, they took one of my white sheets and hung it from the large oak and with his sword, Seeley stabbed it and tried to ride it down and ended up breaking his arm."

Brennan couldn't hold her laughter as it mingled with the other laughs from the entomologist and the artist. The glare grew darker before he joined in the laughter, his arm rested on the anthropologist's shoulders. "I'm guessing you have tons of pictures?" Asked Brennan, the clock on the wall chimed seven, figuring that the day was almost over, the adults got to their feet.

"Of course." Sharon laughed, as Hodgins left to find Zack. Sharon opened her mouth to speak again, but Angela beat her to it.

"Where are you staying, Sharon?" Asked Angela, thoroughly enjoying the woman.

"The Holiday Inn near the airport, I should get going. . ."

"Absolutely not mom, you can stay here-I've got another bedroom." Booth interjected as the Angela put her jacket on, followed by Brennan.

"Alright, that I can do." Agreed Sharon in a very Booth like fashion, Hodgins and Zack came out of the little boy's room as Parker scampered over to his father.

"You got to see what Zack and me built, Daddy." He said breathlessly, pulling on his hand but not getting anywhere. "Daddy."

"Hang on, buddy. Go say goodbye to Angela, Jack and Zack." He whispered to the boy as he walked over to Brennan. "Your leaving?"

"Yes, I don't want to intrude on your time with your mother and your son." She said softly stepping into his space, her blue eyes shining.

"Hodgins is taking you home?" He asked, his hands finding their way to the lapel of her jacket.

"Yes, don't worry I will call you the moment I get home." She responded, he opened his mouth to speak but she beat him to it. "And I will call you if I need anything. I'm a big tough girl, Booth, I can handle things."

"Yeah, that's what I worry about." He said, pressing his lips onto hers-completely aware that all eyes were on them. When they broke away, she turned away and blushed, wrapping her arms around her body.

Parker scampered over and threw his arms around her waist. "Are you leaving Doctor Brennan?" He asked, his eyes wide.

"I have to go home for awhile." She said, ruffling his hair. The boy frowned, and put on his pout face. "Maybe you can come see me tomorrow?"

Excitedly he wrapped his arms around her waist. "Will my baby sister be ready tomorrow?" He asked, the room fell silent. Sharon watched with a raised brow, as Booth groaned.

She only chuckled and got to his level. "No buddy, not for a long time." She kissed the boy on the cheek and the squint squad left before anymore damage could be done. Booth stared at the door, and the boy went back to his room.

"A baby sister, eh?" Asked Sharon, folding her arms. She watched her son try to explain the situation.

"We don't know if it's going to be a girl or not." He said, defeated. Booth wandered to the couch and sat down, it was as if his nightmare came true. "It's really not what you think it is."

"Well start from the beginning." Sharon insisted as she took a seat next to him. With a deep sigh he gave her an outlined version of the story.


End file.
